Avatar Book 4: Air
by mugatu
Summary: Two weeks after Sozin's Comet, the Avatar must seek a way to restore his lost people. Following the legacy of his old teacher, he journeys across the 4 Nations looking for clues. But evil never rests, setting him on a race against a ticking time bomb...
1. Chapter 1: The Journal

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

* * *

Book 4:

Air

Chapter one:

The Journal

* * *

_ Fall is arriving._

_ The warm glow of summer slowly fades away, and with it, all signs of war._

_ For the first time … people seem actually _happy_._

_ No longer are they terrorized by the forces of tyranny. The Avatar has seen to that._

_ A new season has begun … and a new era of peace as well._

_ But things are still dangerous in this tender time._

_ As a gentle breeze can become a gale, so can things collapse around us as well._

_ The other Nations are still at each other's throats, unsure of how to proceed. Some seek vengeance for past injustices._

_ There is also another matter._

_ An entire culture – a civilization – has been wiped out. We must find a way to save it, prevent it from complete extinction._

_ A lot is trying on us right now. We're all exhausted, but we still push forward into uncertainty._

_ But I do know one thing for sure._

_ The Avatar has saved the world…_

* * *

"You know, you guys _don't _have to come with me if you don't want to." The bald headed monk stared ahead. This had to be the hundredth time he said that. He knew their answer too, having been given it a hundred times.

But he still had to be completely sure that they would stay with him. Particularly _her_.

"Same answer as before Aang – we're with you no matter what." Sokka belched as he lay on his back in Appa's saddle, shoveling handfuls of a snack into his gaping maw. _"Man, these fire-flakes…" _He moved to stuff his face again when a lemur leaped from nowhere and grabbed the fire-flakes out of his hand. _"Momo!"_

Aang, the Avatar, gave a chuckle. "I just don't want guys to feel as though you have to stick with me, you know? I mean, if you wanted to go back home, see your family…"

The girl next to him shook her head. "No, Aang. We know how important this is to you. Sokka and I can head home anytime we like. But, we want to see this through with you to the end."

The young monk blushed and tightened his grip on Appa's reigns. It had been less than two weeks since Sozin's Comet blazed up in the sky, empowering the seemingly invincible Fire Nation. He remembered his final confrontation with Fire Lord Ozai that day. He would have lost, had he not accidentally unleashed his blocked chakra, releasing the full fury of the Avatar State.

He remembered the pure energy coursing through his small body that moment. And then, as though by instinct, he managed to bind the Fire Lord, and use a special bending technique – Energybending – to render the Fire Lord harmless.

Thus, was the end of the war and the beginning of this new era of peace. Things seemed to be going for the better, especially in the Fire Nation. Fire Lord Zuko, his archenemy turned friend, was now in charge, and would guide his nation into a new way of life.

The Avatar felt a small pang in his chest, however. After the end of the war, they had parted ways with their friends. Toph, the blind Earthbender, had returned, grudgingly of course, back to her parents in the Earth Kingdom.

Zuko and Mai would return to the Fire Nation.

And Suki, Sokka's girlfriend, would return to Kyoshi Island, to continue her training with the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors. They had watched Sokka and Suki's goodbye, and frankly, the way they were going at it with their tongues was quite nauseating to the Avatar.

_When are Katara and I going to do stuff like that? Wait … where did that thought come from?_

Aang and Katara were tentatively "dating" now. They had agreed to take things slowly, but the young monk longed for when their relationship would deepen.

He shook the thoughts out of his head as the clouds began to part and a towering citadel appeared before them.

"There it is," exclaimed Aang, his grey eyes wide and his mouth grinning furiously. He pointed frantically ahead.

Sokka barely managed to roll over to get a good look at the towering structure before them.

Katara's eyes, meanwhile, were on the ecstatic monk. She was happy for Aang, happy that he was returning here. She was also glad they were with him, helping him look for any clues, anything that might help him find out if there were any survivors of his lost people.

The Southern Air Temple stood magnificently before them.

* * *

"May I have some more tea, please?"

"Of course."

The burly old man poured a nice hot cup of tea for the paying customer. Humming softly to himself, he moved behind the counter and into the kitchen to survey the operations. Several employees were hard at work, preparing more tea.

"No, no, no!" Iroh's eyes were bulging as he ran over to a young tea cooker. "You're crushing the leaves all wrong. Allow me to demonstrate."

The man rolled his eyes and allowed his employer to take over. Iroh was still talking, but the man was only half listening.

"You must not crush the leaves so furiously. Negative emotions makes negative tea, remember that." He hummed as he took hold of a small device and gently pressed down on the tea leaves in circular motion. "Tea must be made with love, not anger or frustration. Gentle motions, like this." He smiled at his employee as he handed him the device. "Now you try."

The employee copied Iroh's movements, but as soon as the old man was away, he went back to pulverizing the leaves with hammer-like motions.

Another employee came up to Iroh, a young girl. "Mr. Iroh!" She seemed to be out of breath.

"What is the matter, Jin?"

Jin had met Iroh last spring, when he set her up with his nephew "Lee." When his nephew returned to the Fire Nation, Iroh had told the teenager that "Lee" returned to his family in the circus. Jin was disappointed at first, but when Iroh offered her a post as a waitress, she quickly agreed (more out of hope of seeing "Lee" again).

"Mr. Iroh, your food stores have been tampered with," she hurriedly explained. "I was in the back room and getting extra tea like you asked, and I noticed that several boxes of food have been pulled open. I think you might have pests or something!"

The old man fretted worriedly. "Vermin?! In _my_ tea store! Oh, this is very serious indeed; if word got out that the Jasmine Dragon was infested…" He shook his head and excused himself. He then rushed into the back room of the tea store.

The back room was Iroh's home. He had a nice mat on the floor, a sink, and a nice window with a bright flower on the sill.

And then he had several crates of food in the corner. He examined every last detail of the boxes. Indeed, they had been rummaged through, but it didn't look like any pest he'd ever seen. There were no tears or holes in the crates that are characteristic of pests. The tops had been pulled off.

Whatever it was was intelligent.

Iroh chortled to himself as he stroked his beard.

_"It looks like we have a squatter!"_

* * *

Fire Lord Zuko sat on a pillow on the floor of the war room. Several generals and military officers sat around a table with him. The previous Fire Lord sat above his generals, but Zuko refused to be like him. Here, he wanted to be on equal level with his men, make them comfortable.

"The 132nd regiment has currently withdrawn from the Earth Kingdom's southern coast and General Shu is on his way here with his troops."

The Fire Lord nodded, his hands folded before him. "How soon can we have full demobilization? When can _all _of our men come home?"

"It could take up to a whole _year_ for complete demobilization," the general admitted. "There are some areas that could fall away into anarchy without a military presence there."

Zuko nodded. "Then do everything in your power to make sure that when our men _do_ return home, those trouble spots are taken care of. Is there anything else?"

Another general opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it and bowed his head. The Fire Lord, however, motioned encouragingly with his hand. "Go on, General. I want everyone to be able to speak their minds here."

"Sir, there are some other _problems_ beginning to crop up. Now that the war is over, much of the … Earth Kingdom populace still harbors strong sentiment against us. They've begun to attack our men as they march home. None of our men have been seriously hurt, but the attacks are a source of … _annoyance_…"

"Well, that is to be expected," Zuko responded. "I don't blame the world for hating us. But still, do everything possible to ensure our men's safety."

The general bowed his head, but then spoke again. "Please sir, that's not the only issue. We have some … domestic problems here as well. Many of our troops here aren't pleased that you've ended the war."

"I wouldn't expect them to be."

"But sir … they see you as a traitor. In fact, many of our citizens in the capital have formed a coalition. It's called the 'Alliance to Restore Ozai.'"

A young commander nodded knowingly. "I've heard of them. They're known by the catchy acronym, A.T.R.O."

Zuko drummed his folded fingers. He knew that there would be resentment towards him. Most of his citizens had been brainwashed in the schools to be fanatically loyal to his father. Even worse was the propaganda spewed to them that they were the "master race."

It was disgusting.

"Unlike my father, I allow dissenting views in this nation. They may be allowed to meet and voice their opinions as long as they do no harm. However, I would ask an eye be kept on them, in case they become violent." He looked around the table. "Is that all?"

The rest of the officers remained silent, and so Zuko stood up. At the same time, they stood as well and respectfully bowed to him.

The Fire Lord then briskly walked out of the war room.

It was time to pay Mai a visit.

* * *

"This is … I don't have any words to say."

Aang stood among the remains of his former home, trembling due to his mixture of heartbreak and anger. Even though he had seen the devastation last Winter, it still didn't remit the emotions. Before, while on Appa's back, he had been happy to be returning. But now…

He touched an area of the wall, his hand grazing the scored and blackened wall. As he did, he could hear the screaming of his kin, the roar of the flames. He snapped his hand away from the wall, as though he had been burned.

Katara's hands caressed his shoulders. "Are you going to be okay?"

The bald monk nodded. "Yea. Let's just go inside. See if we can find the library." Grabbing his staff, he marched inside of the temple, Katara and Sokka behind him.

"There's nothing here!"

Aang was sitting at a table in the Temple's library, literally dozens of scrolls laid out before him. "We've been here for three hours! I was hoping to find _something_ that might give us a clue, a hint, anything to indicate if there was ever an emergency escape hatch. A secret hiding place or something!"

He held his hand in his heads.

Katara joined him at the table carrying more scrolls and books. "I got nothing from these," she sighed.

"Has Sokka had any luck?"

Katara turned around to look at her brother, who she saw lying fast asleep on the floor under a pile of papers and books. Momo was poking at his face with a stick.

_"Something tells me he hasn't had much luck either…"_

Aang's gaze wandered out the window towards the ruby red sunset and yawned. "Let's give up for tonight," he suggested. "Get some sleep and continue looking in the morning."

"Sokka's way ahead of you."

The Avatar tiredly stood up, grasping his staff, when a sudden impulse came to him. "Hey, I'll be right back. There's just … there's a place I just want to spend some alone time in."

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?"

Aang tried to smile encouragingly at her. "I'll be fine," he half lied before walking out the door.

Monk Gyatso's old bedroom.

It had been a lifetime since Aang had been here. There were many fond memories he had in this room. Playing Pai Sho with Gyatso, swapping jokes, receiving advice.

Gyatso had been his best friend and mentor. The connection he had with the man ran deeper than the tattoos on his body. When he had discovered his friend's demise …

The pain still gnawed at his heart.

But then his mind returned to Guru Pathik's voice. The words soothed his aching heart.

_ You've indeed felt a great loss. But love is a form of energy and it swirls all around us. The Air Nomads' love for you has not left this world. It is still inside your heart and is reborn in the form of new love…_

Aang sat himself on Gyatso's old bed, sending up a cloud of dust which caused him to sneeze continuously.

And then he noticed something.

Something in the bed.

Furrowing his brow, he placed his hand under the mattress to remove the foreign object. His hand found it, and he pulled it out from under the bed.

It was a book.

No, upon further inspection, not just a book. It was a journal.

Monk Gyatso's journal.

Aang felt his eyes tear up. In his hands were his friend's deepest, most intimate thoughts. The young Airbender hesitated. Should he read it? No, it would be wrong to invade his old friend's private thoughts and feelings.

But at the same time…

What if there was something – a hint – of what might have become of the Air Nomads between the time he ran away and the time Fire Lord Sozin sent his attack.

Maybe he could find some clue that might show if _any _Air Nomads had survived, had passed on their teachings.

He couldn't stand not knowing.

What if he was destined to be the Last Airbender for the rest of his life?

* * *

Zuko and Mai were sitting outside on a blanket, just watching the setting. "I can't believe you're still making me do this," she grumbled. "Sunsets are so dull."

The Fire Lord laughed softly. "Well, like it or not, we're doing it every night, so get used to it."

"So you're giving me orders now, Mr. Fire Lord?"

"You could say that."

She rolled her eyes. "Speaking of Fire Lords, shouldn't you be in the palace. You know … overseeing things?"

"Hey, I need a break," he replied. "Don't worry about it," he assured her after seeing her shake her head. "I got Qin watching everything while we're on our date."

"Qin? The War Minister? Wasn't he like your father's biggest advisor?"

"He was. But things are changing now, Mai. I for one believe in second chances; after all, the Avatar gave me a million of them."

"Save your sappy stories…"

He drew closer to her. "Aaw, is Mai going to cry if she hears a 'sappy story'?" He loved teasing her, and if he couldn't make her happy, he did know how to rouse her temper.

She grit her teeth. "Shut it."

"Don't worry Mai. One of these days, I am going to make you show _some_ kind of emotion."

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "There, happy?"

He smiled as he put his arm around her. "For now."

They sat there for a few moments, watching the setting sun in silence.

Finally, _"I _really_ hate sunsets."_

* * *

The figure darted its way through the shadows, slinking around noiselessly. It was night, everyone had gone home, and the owner of the tea shop was fast asleep. It had better make this raid quick – the old man was already beginning to suspect something.

The thief allowed the darkness to consume it. It lived on darkness, thrived on it. The dark was its home, its whole life.

_There!_

The food crates, right there, within easy grasp. The thief would have to go about this more delicately. It couldn't afford to tear into the crates. There had to be a way to get at the food without breaking into it.

A sudden blaze of flame caught the thief off guard and sent it scurrying a few feet back.

"I caught you redhanded!"

_Dang!_

The old man was wide awake now. "You thought I was asleep, but the Dragon of the West never sleeps!"

The figure trembled in the dark, its breathing fast.

Iroh seemed to sense the uneasiness in his opponent and he slowly lowered his arms. "You know, if you were really that hungry, you didn't have to _steal_. I would have shared my food willingly with you."

"It's not that," the thief replied and Iroh was shocked to hear the voice of a little girl. "It's just … I was afraid you would send me away if you found me."

"Send you away?"

The figure came out from the shadows and Iroh nearly fell over in disbelief at the "thief" that stood before him.

_"Toph?"_

The blind Earthbender sat on a small mat on the ground as Iroh poured them both a cup of tea. "I'm sorry for breaking in and stealing your food, Iroh," she finally said.

"What I don't understand is why you're _here_, of all places! Shouldn't you be home with your family in Gao Ling? Didn't my nephew give you an honor escort home?"

She nodded. "He did, but I ditched those hog-monkeys and came here."

"Don't you miss your family?"

"I did – I _do_! And I was going to go home, please believe me, Iroh. But, I remembered all of the gang and all of the adventures we had and I couldn't go through with it. My parents would keep me under tighter restrictions and I would never be allowed to leave the estate or see Aang or anyone ever again!

"So I came here, and I've been living off your food stores for the past week. The food's not great, but hey, who am I to complain? I've been known to eat dirt!"

Iroh took a sip of his tea and Toph stared straight at the wall. "Please don't send me away," she finally implored. "I want to see Twinkletoes and Sugar Queen and even Snoozles again."

"I'll make a deal with you," Iroh finally said, placing his cup on the ground. "I'll let you stay here with me for a month. We'll visit my nephew and we'll make sure that Aang comes here to see you. I'll write a letter to your parents explaining the situation. But … there's something you must do for me. Two things, actually."

"What?"

"First, you have to promise me that after the month is over, you will return to your parents."

"Aaaw, come on!"

"Promise me, Toph."

"Fine," she grumbled, blowing a stray piece of hair from her forehead. "What's the second thing?"

This is where the old man's eyes lit up and a sly grin crept across his face. "If you're going to live here, you're going to work for me. You must work six hours a day as a waitress for the Jasmine Dragon."

Toph lay down on her back, hands behind her head. "You got a deal, Iroh. Just don't make me wear any fancy shoes."

"I won't. But you will wear the standard uniform. And … please try to be polite to the customers."

"I'm always polite."

He laughed and then began spreading an extra mat on the floor for Toph to sleep in. He looked up at her as he finished unfurling it.

"You begin first thing in the morning."

* * *

Aang sat in the library at a desk, pouring himself over Gyatso's journal. Katara and Sokka had set up cots in another room, but Aang couldn't sleep. He had shown Katara the journal but she had told him not to read it. "You can't invade other people's private thoughts," she had chided.

So Aang snuck away when they were asleep. If there was any chance of Gyatso knowing anything … any chance at all of finding out if any Air Nomads might have been forewarned of the attack…

Nothing.

He had been reading for hours on end. Gyatso had poured his heart out into this journal, talking about his feelings, his thoughts, daily events.

But there was nothing to indicate whether the Air Nomads had any prior knowledge of an attack and had thus prepared.

Oh, but wait a minute. Here was an interesting entry.

It was near the end of the journal, and Gyatso's handwriting seemed frenetic and emotionally charged. Aang settled in as he read this entry.

I'VE JUST HAD SOME JOLTING NEWS. THE AIR COUNCIL HAS DECREED THAT AANG IS TO BE TAKEN AWAY FROM ME – SENT TO THE EASTERN AIR TEMPLE. THEY FEEL THAT MY EMOTIONS FOR AANG ARE HINDERING HIS TRAINING.

I WON'T LET THEM TAKE THE BOY AWAY FROM ME – I WON'T! YES, MAYBE I HAVE BECOME A LITTLE TOO ATTACHED TO HIM, BUT THAT IS ONLY NATURAL. THE BOY IS LIKE A SON TO ME. HE STILL NEEDS ME.

BUT, PERHAPS I'M BEING SELFISH. PERHAPS THE COUNCIL IS RIGHT AND AANG AND I MUST BE SEPARATED. THERE IS A WAR COMING, AS THE SPIRITS HAVE TOLD US. SOZIN'S COMET WILL BE HERE BY THE END OF THE SUMMER AND AANG HAS BARELY LEARNED AIRBENDING.

IF THE FIRE NATION DOES START A WAR, WE CAN BE SURE THEY'LL BE COMING AFTER THE AIR NOMADS FIRST. THEY WANT TO EXTINGUISH THE AVATAR SPIRIT. I CAN KEEP AANG SAFE, BUT IF THEY TAKE HIM AWAY FROM ME, THEN WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL BECOME OF HIM?

AND AS FOR THE AIR NOMADS … I'VE HEARD THE RUMORS. I KNOW THAT FIRE LORD SOZIN LEFT ROKU TO DIE. HE'S A RUTHLESS DICTATOR. AANG IS OUR TOP PRIORITY RIGHT NOW! HE MUST COMPLETE HIS TRAINING! IF THE FIRE LORD GETS HIS HANDS ON HIM … I SHUDDER TO THINK WHAT WILL HAPPEN.

BUT I MUST FIND A WAY TO CONVINCE THE COUNCIL TO LET AANG STAY WITH ME!

Aang bit his lip, and decided to proceed to Gyatso's next entry. But, what had he meant when he said _"I can keep Aang safe"_?

Perhaps the next entry held new answers.

His heart was pounding. He knew that this was around the time that he ran away. He didn't want to read Gyatso's reaction. He dreaded to read his feelings.

But he had to go on.

I'M STILL IN SHOCK.

I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT AANG IS ACTUALLY GONE. HE LEFT ME A NOTE, OF COURSE. I FOUGHT SO HARD TO KEEP HIM HERE WITH ME, AND HE'S GONE AFTER ALL.

I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY HE DID IT, BUT IT WAS A FOOLISH MOVE ALL THE SAME! HE MAY BE THE AVATAR, BUT HE'S ALL ALONE! IF HE GETS CAPTURED …

NO! I MUSTN'T THINK LIKE THAT. AANG IS RESOURCEFUL, HE'LL FIND A WAY TO ENDURE, TO SURVIVE.

BUT THE PAIN IS SO UNBEARABLE!

BUT I MUST FOCUS ON OTHER PRIORITIES. THE FIRE NATION IS MOBILIZING ITS TROOPS AND THEY'RE MARCHING ON OUR POSITION. WHEN THEY COME, I MUST FIGHT TO DEFEND MY PEOPLE. I KNOW THAT THE SOME ARE FLEEING TO THE FIFTH AIR TEMPLE, KNOWN ONLY TO A SELECT FEW IN OUR CULTURE.

IF I MUST, I WILL DIE TO PROTECT ITS LOCATION.

I NEED…

The entry was cut short as Aang noticed that the bottom half of the page had been torn out. How odd! Could Gyatso have done it?

The news, however, of a new Air Temple, a fifth one, really stirred in Aang's blood. He had never heard of a _fifth_ temple before. And Gyatso had said that some of the Air Nomads were heading there. He also hinted that the Fire Nation didn't know of its location.

This gave him new hope. Perhaps some Air Nomads had escaped and reached this fifth temple. Perhaps some had survived and carried on his culture to this very day.

He had to find its location! If there were other Air Nomads there, they could rebuild their lost nation.

However, he had no idea to start.

More disturbing was the missing half of that page. He didn't know if it was Gyatso or someone else who had torn it out.

All he knew was that someone didn't want that page read…

* * *

Okay, so there's the first chapter. Please Review. I have the plot basically in my head and mostly developed, but if anyone has any ideas, I'd love to hear them. I'd love some constructive criticism, but no flames please.


	2. Chapter 2: Family Matters

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

* * *

Book 4:

Air

Chapter two:

Family Matters

* * *

_The prisoner sat in his lowly cell, cursing his fate. He was so foolish, so arrogant. How could he have let himself be defeated by that … _boy_?! The thought was just too much to bear. Inside his chest, the man burned like a torch._

_He heard footsteps, and his head jolted upward._

_His son…_

_But this was not going to be a tender family moment. There would be no words of love for each other._

_Just simply … words._

_The prisoner snorted at the appearance of his son. "I should count myself lucky – the new Fire Lord has graced me with his presence in my lowly prison cell!"_

_"You should count yourself lucky that the Avatar spared your life!"_

_The prisoner made a noise in his throat and turned away. His son took a deep breath, his heart heavy with what he was about to say._

_"Banishing me was the best thing you could have done for my life. It put me on the right track. Perhaps your time in here can do the same for you."_

_The father looked up at his son for the first time. This was not just a social meeting… "Why are you _really_ here?"_

_"Because you're going to tell me something." The boy leaned forward earnestly, his hands gripping the cell bars. He clearly annunciated his next sentence._

_"Where. Is. My. Mother?"_

* * *

"Ugh, please tell me that I don't have to wear this thing all the time!" Toph was standing in the kitchen of the Jasmine Dragon, wearing the bright, frilly waitress uniform supplied to her by Iroh. A sour expression was on her face. "It's so tight. And itchy!"

Jin smiled at her as she tied her apron. "You'll get used to it…"

"I don't want to get used to it!"

At that moment, Iroh came in, a merry smile plastered across his face. "What a beautiful day to begin your waitressing career!"

"Good morning, sunshine," Toph scathingly remarked. "Alright, what do I have to do first?"

The old man placed several cups of tea on a tray and handed it to the young girl. "For starters, bring this over to Table Three."

Sighing, Toph grabbed the tray and made her way over to the table. "Here's your order," she said in a monotone voice, and carelessly tossed the tray on the table, nearly spilling the boiling contents on the sitting patrons. They gave her angry looks and one man complained about the service.

Toph returned to the kitchen smirking. "There, mission accomplished."

Iroh clicked his tongue and wagged his finger at her. "No, no, no Toph. You mustn't be so rude. You must take your time with the customers, be polite, chat with them about the weather or something…"

"In other words, be a total weenie."

"Exactly! No wait, I mean -."

"Okay, okay," the blind girl said, waving her arm away. "I'll try my best."

Iroh beamed at her. "That's all I ask."

Sighing, Toph took another tray and headed out to deliver it to her customers. She was already feeling a headache pounding away at her temples.

_"This is going to be a looooooong day…"_

* * *

"This is the Southern Water Tribe?"

Aang, Katara and Sokka were sitting on Appa's back, amazed expressions worn on their faces. After searching the Air Temple in vain, Aang was beginning to become quite frustrated at not being able to find the torn piece of Gyatso's journal. Hoping to take his mind off of it for a while (and because she wanted to see her family again), Katara encouraged him to take a break for a few days to visit the Southern Water Tribe. Grudgingly, he agreed, though he hid Gyatso's journal away in his shirt.

And so here they were, on Appa's back, the tribe inching closer to them. Except, it no longer looked like a tribe. In fact, it looked like a small city. Large igloos and buildings made of ice dotted the landscape, and there were certainly more people here. Sokka immediately guessed that his step-grandfather, Pakku, had taken some Waterbenders from up north and brought them here to repopulate; help their sister tribe grow.

"I can't believe it!" Sokka couldn't contain his excitement. "Look! We have a harbor now!"

"And there are people waiting for us," Katara pointed out. "They must have seen us coming on Appa!"

Sokka leaned back in the saddle. "Looks like we're getting a heroes welcome." He rubbed his hands together greedily. "Ooh, and Gran-Gran can make us some seal-jerky too!"

The sky bison touched down at the tip of the harbor and the trio hopped off. They were greeted with shouts and cheers from the crowd. Everyone tried to get at the Avatar, to see him, to just touch the skin of the one who had saved them all. Aang and Katara tried to take it in humbly. Sokka didn't.

"Yea, we saved the world," he announced. "Don't forget to give credit to where credit is due! Aang may have stopped the Fire Lord, but _I'm_ the one who taught him everything he knows!" He puffed his chest out proudly, only to be pelted in the crotch by snowballs from several laughing children. The melted snowballs left a wet stain.

"Haha, you peed your pants!"

"Let me through," came a voice, and the crowds parted the way for a frumpy old woman. "I have to see with my own eyes!" She squinted, and suddenly her features melted.

"Katara!"

The old woman ran forward and embraced her granddaughter. Katara nuzzled her face in the woman's neck. _"I've missed you, Gran-Gran."_

"What about me," Sokka complained. "Didn't you miss me, Gran-Gran?" The old woman thumped him on the head.

"Oww, what was that for?"

"When you left last year, you forgot to clean your room. We had to tie scarves around our faces so we wouldn't inhale any toxic fumes." She then reached out and quickly hugged her grandson.

And then she turned to the bald monk next to her. "And here he is… The one who saved the world." Aang found himself crushed in Gran-Gran's embrace.

"Okay, don't throttle the kid," came a surly voice, and Aang peered past Gran-Gran to see…

"Sifu Pakku!"

The old Waterbending Master nodded his head respectfully at his pupil, and Aang's eyes lit up with excitement as he rushed over to him. Pakku held out a gloved hand to stop him. "I don't do hugs…"

Pakku then turned to his new grandchildren. "Katara … uh … good to see you."

Katara bowed respectfully, knowing how poor Pakku was with words.

Sokka, however, immediately bombarded the old man. "So you're my grandpa now! How's it feel to be a grandpa? Does it make you feel old; would it be something I want to do later in life?!" He paused panting. "And what to call you?! I know. Grand-Pakku!"

Pakku looked at him. "No."

"Grandpa?"

"No."

"Gramps?"

"No."

There was an awkward silence.

Sokka finally opened his mouth to speak again –

"No," before any words were even able to come out. Pakku smiled. "That was a pre-emptive 'no.'"

Katara meanwhile, was looking around anxiously. "So uh … where's dad?"

"He still hasn't returned," Pakku answered. "He, Bato and their regiment are still out there, cleaning up a few pockets of Fire Nation resistance. They should be back within the month."

"Oh." Katara lowered her head in disappointment. She had been looking forward to seeing Hakoda again…

Sokka, however, was able to shrug away her disappointment, grabbing her by the wrist and bolting off.

"Come on, I want to see all the new renovations!"

* * *

"Here's your tea," said Toph in the most nauseatingly sweet voice she could muster. She placed the tea on the table and curtsied, just as Iroh instructed her. Frankly, she was ready to barf.

She sauntered behind the counter to the kitchen, where Jin was stacking empty trays. "Ugh," the Earthbender complained. "It's only my first day on the job and I'm already sick of it!"

Iroh overheard the conversation and intruded himself into it. "Now, that is not the right attitude to take! You must take pride in your work, pride that you've made someone else's day that much brighter!" His grin was cheesy.

Toph leaned into Jin's ear and whispered. _"I love Iroh and all, but all his bright, sunshine talk is going to drive me bonkers!"_

Iroh was humming softly to himself, helping Jin stack the trays, when a cold chill went through the room and the entire tea shop went silent. The patrons sat there, their talking died down as they stared at the entrance to the shop. Iroh looked up to see the source of the disturbance and his face immediately paled.

Toph seemed to have noticed. "Are you alright? Your heartbeat just skyrocketed!"

Iroh didn't seem to hear her, and he was mumbling to himself. _"No! Not him! Anyone but him!"_

"What's going on," Toph pressed, annoyed at not knowing what was happening. Jin noticed, and she suddenly became very nervous too.

"It's _him_!"

Toph knitted her eyebrows. "Someone better tell me what's going on! Who just came into the shop?"

"His name is Nizu, but everyone just calls him, 'The Unsatisfiable'. He's a top rated food critic in Ba Sing Se; but he's never satisfied, hence the name. He always finds something to complain about, no matter how perfect the food is. And then he always demands free food for compensation." Jin shuddered. "You should see what he did to soup kitchen for the homeless. It was horrible…"

Iroh was rocking in a fetal position in the corner, babbling incoherently.

Nizu, a.k.a. The Unsatisfiable, was a large man with glasses and lips like a fish. He wore what appeared to be a fanny-pack, and sandals with long socks. He waddled his way over to a table, pulled up a seat, sat down and then loudly cleared his throat, expecting service.

Jin's face shot over to Toph. "What are you waiting for, go serve him!"

"I just got back from serving six other customers! Why don't you do it?!"

Jin was trembling. "I don't have the courage…"

Toph rolled her eyes at her and Iroh, before tying her apron up nice and tight. She thumbed her nose at the two before heading out into the dining area. She cleared her throat, and then spoke in a sugary tone.

"Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon, how may I help you?!"

"Well it's about time," Nizu snapped in a nasal voice. Just hearing it made Toph want to punch him out. "I'll try a cup of your best ginseng tea, along with another cup of jasmine. Is that clear, or should I spell it out so that your brain can understand?"

Toph bit her lip, trying not to lose her cool. "Crystal clear. I'll bring you your order immediately." She curtsied to him, and hurried back to fill his order.

Iroh was holding onto Jin, a frightened look on his face. "Oh Spirits," he whimpered. "He doesn't look happy." He grabbed Toph and began shaking her furiously. "For heaven's sake, don't mess this up!"

"Okay, okay," she replied, shrugging the old man off. "But why are you so frightened of this guy?"

"Because he writes reviews for the highest class citizens in the Upper Ring. One bad review from him could put the Jasmine Dragon out of business! Please, Toph, please, don't do anything to upset him!" Iroh was practically begging.

"Okaaaaay, relax." She piled a teapot and several cups onto a tray and brought them to the table. "Here you are," she announced, pouring Nizu some tea. "Enjoy!"

Nizu brought the tea up to his nose and sniffed it, allowing the aroma to waft up his nose. "Not a bad smell…" He dipped his finger into the cup and stirred. "Fine texture. But let's see how it tastes." He took a mouthful and swished it around his cheeks.

Toph seemed relieved.

That is until Nizu spat his whole mouthful out right into her face.

"This tea is horrible! I don't think it could even be called tea – it's bile! Disgusting, filthy, lacks imagination! Your shop is a disgrace. I'm a dissatisfied customer, and as such, I demand a refund!"

"Ooh, tough break," Toph replied. "We can't give you a refund. You see, you already _drank_ some of that tea. But you're welcome to buy another one." She beamed at him.

Nizu never had anyone refuse him a refund. He stood up, straightening his clothes. "Clearly you have no idea who I am…"

Toph opened her mouth to speak, but had her mouth immediately covered by Iroh's hand. He was apologizing profusely. "Please excuse her," the old man said. "She's new and she doesn't quite understand how things work. Please, allow me to give you a full refund and a free pass here whenever you like."

Nizu , however wasn't listening to Iroh's apology and he pointed at Toph. "No. You were about to say something to me. Come on, girlie, spit it out. I want to hear what you have to say." He motioned for Iroh to move his hand.

Iroh looked down at Toph, praying she would just apologize and refund this guy. Toph was clearly past her boiling point, and she couldn't help but blurt out what was on her mind.

"You said that I don't know who you are, but that's not quite true. I _do_ know who you are – you're a pathetic, loser of a man who probably still lives with his mother and gets his kicks from being a pompous, annoying -." She was interrupted by Iroh's hand covering her mouth again.

"She's such a joker," he cut her off.

Nizu stood there with his mouth wide open in shock at the tongue lashing he just received. "Well I never!" He looked at Iroh, who looked ready to pass out. "If this is the type of conduct you condone in your employees, then I wish to have no part of this place. I can't wait to write a review about this place! You'll never work in this town again!"

He turned on his heel and stormed out.

Iroh was trembling, as he let go of Toph. He brought his hand to his eyes, collapsed in a chair, and began weeping. "I'm finished! After all the hard work I put in to make this place a success, in just five minutes …" He made falling motion with his hand.

Toph, however, was watching the door that Nizu had exited through. "Hey," she said, "I'm going on break." She bolted out the door.

"But you don't get breaks," Iroh called after her.

Everyone waited for a few seconds. Suddenly, there was the sound of punching, beating, and several girlish screams.

Toph returned a moment later, dusting her hands off. "Don't worry about The Unsatisfiable," she said, patting Iroh on the shoulder. "He decided he's going to write a good review for this place."

Iroh looked up at her with a tear-streamed face. "R-really? How did you convince him?"

"Let's just say, I can be _very_ persuasive."

Iroh crushed her in a hug. "I'm so glad you were able to work it out with him!" He then returned behind the counter to begin making more tea.

Jin approached Toph and whispered, _"How did you convince him to not write a bad review?"_

A devious smile flitted across Toph's face. _"Let's just say The Unsatisfiable got real familiar with the local dumpster."_

Toph had a good day for the rest of her shift.

* * *

"It feels _so good_ to be back," exclaimed Sokka, snuggling into a warm bearskin bed. They were all inside the chieftain's igloo, though it was quite empty without Hakoda lounging around.

While Sokka was babbling on, Aang sat in contemplation. He found his hand moving under his shirt, caressing Gyatso's journal. He could almost feel traces of his friend still left in the book, and it stirred his memories.

Aang had to find this fifth air temple. He had to see if there were any Air Nomads still out there, hiding, waiting to return to the world and rebuild.

He had to do it out of honor for Gyatso.

But what of that torn page? And how would he find this air temple?

He was brought out of his ruminations by Katara's cheerful face. "Hey, Aang, there was something I wanted to ask you."

He nodded. "Okay, shoot."

She hesitated, and then her eyes brightened up as she blurted out, "would you go penguin sledding with me?!"

Aang was taken aback, expecting it to be a more serious question. "Penguin sledding?"

Katara shrugged. "Consider it a date!"

At that comment, Aang felt butterflies in his stomach and his face turned beet red. He grabbed her and practically dragged her out the door. "Come on, let's go!"

Here they were, almost a year later. Aang remembered when they first went penguin sledding. They had gotten lost and found an abandoned Fire Nation vessel. Their curiosity had gotten the better of them and they had accidentally triggered a flare that signaled Prince Zuko to come after them.

Some would say that it had been fate.

Aang and Katara watched dozens of penguins waddling about, making noise, flapping their wings. "Alright," Aang said, bracing himself. "Fish me!"

"It would be my pleasure." Katara tossed a wriggling fish down Aang's shirt, and all of a sudden he was surrounded by penguins. Picking out a particularly chubby one, the Airbender hopped aboard its back, and began sledding down the slope. Katara followed suit.

The two were laughing as the wind and snow blew past their faces. Katara pulled up alongside Aang. "Last one down is a rotten platypus-bear egg!" And she slid past him.

Aang couldn't control his smile. "Oh no you don't!"

They were neck and neck, going through ice tunnels, dodging frozen stalagmites, flying off ramps.

Aang couldn't believe his fortune, that he was out here with Katara. And, she had called it a _date_! So that was it then. They were now, "officially" dating. He thought back to the customs of his people. The Air Nomads were generally monks, but they did allow for relationships between men and women as long as they were committed. He remembered Gyatso's lecture about women.

_"Remember Aang … Airbenders mate for life. When you meet a girl, and you fall in love … just make sure she's the right one. Be absolutely positive before you commit yourself."_

Was Katara the right one for him?

Well, right now, with the way things were going between them, Aang was absolutely positive she was.

* * *

The Royal Entourage made their way down the streets of Plaza City, the capital of the Fire Nation. It was nestled nicely inside the crater of a volcano.

Instead of being carried by royal pallbearers, Zuko preferred to walk. He didn't want to be like his father – hidden from his populace. He wanted his people to see him, to feel comfortable around him, to know that he wasn't some inapproachable entity.

Judging from the looks he was receiving, however, the people didn't seem too pleased to see him. In fact, many of them were shooting him dirty looks. Of course, there were a few here and there that were thrilled at his appearance, glad to be rid of the tyranny of Ozai. However, the rest were displeased at the apparent regime change.

"Can we go back," Mai complained as she lagged behind her boyfriend.

Zuko turned around incredulously. "Go back? But we just started our walk!"

"I don't like the looks we're getting," she complained. "And my feet hurt."

Zuko rolled his eyes. "There's no pleasing you," he chuckled. He signaled to his guards. "But you win," he continued. "We'll go back and have some lunch."

"Fine by me," Mai grumbled.

Suddenly, a voice came from the crowd. _"Down with the Fire Lord!"_

Zuko was pelted in the chest with something. He touched the gooey, thick red substance splattered on his royal robes. A tomato! Someone had thrown a tomato at him.

And more fruits and vegetables were rapidly hurled at him.

The guards began dispersing, trying to keep the crowd in order. One of them turned to the Fire Lord. "Sir, I think it best if you returned to the Palace immediately. There might be a riot if you stay too much longer!"

Nodding, Zuko took Mai's hand and they hurried towards the Palace. The whole way back, neither said a word. Deep down, Zuko was hurt that his own people wanted to be rid of him.

He was so unlike his father, and yet the Fire Nation hated him.

* * *

"Where did this blizzard come from?"

Aang, Katara and Momo were standing in the middle of an enormous tundra, as furious winds berated them. Aang couldn't see an inch in front of him because of the thick snow. It was a complete whiteout.

Here's what happened. Their penguin sledding race had taken them out farther then they expected. When they realized that they had no clue as to where they were, that's when the snow hit.

"We need to find shelter," Katara shouted above the howling winds.

"We need to make one!" Together, Aang and Katara moved the snow about, solidifying it into blocks of ice. They then began piling the ice blocks together, forming a makeshift igloo. It wasn't a palace, but it would have to do.

They crawled inside and Aang created a small fire in the center of the hut.

Now most people think that the inside of igloos are quite cold. Actually, the opposite is true. If built correctly, the inside can be nice and warm. So Aang and Katara leaned next to each other along the walls of the building, also using their body heat to generate more warmth.

Aang watched the blizzard raging outside. "We'll wait 'till it clears, and then we can try to find our way back." He felt his stomach rumble. "Do we have any food?"

"Hold on." Katara reached into her pocket and pulled out a handful of leechie nuts. They split them between the two of them and Momo. They were still unsatisfied, but it was better than nothing.

They sat in silence for about half an hour until Katara spoke up. "Hey Aang … I'm sorry."

"Sorry? What do you have to be sorry about?"

"I'm sorry about your people. I'm sorry that you didn't find any clues to if any survived."

"But I did," Aang announced, showing her Gyatso's journal. "We now know that there's a fifth air temple. And if I can find it, maybe I can find some surviving Air Nomads."

Katara shook her head. "But you don't even know where this temple is!"

"Well, that would be a snag in the plan. But, if I go to the other air temples, I may find other clues there. They could lead me to the fifth temple!"

She smiled at the monk next to her. "So it sounds like we're going on another adventure!"

_"We?"_

"Of course! You didn't think Sokka and I would let you go alone, did you? Not on your life!"

His smile was bittersweet. "Are you sure? I mean, I saw how happy you two were to be returning here."

"It was nice coming home, but for now, this mission is our top priority. Where you go, we go!"

Hearing those words made him feel even better. "Katara, I'm glad you're with me. Even if we are stuck in the middle of nowhere!"

* * *

The torches flickered blood-red, casting an eerie glow in the dark hallway. It was nighttime out, which made it the perfect time for the kind of discussion that needed to be had. Two guards silently led a young man down the hall. The only sound was the echo of their footsteps.

They stopped in front of a door. "His cell is just inside. If you need us, give a shout."

Fire Lord Zuko nodded. "I will."

It was a well rehearsed scene that played out night after night. Zuko would come to this prison every night, the guards would lead him to this cell, and they would tell him those exact words.

Zuko entered the room, and before him was a barred cell. A lone man sat in the shadows, his clothes ragged and torn and his hair flung about and his beard hung limply.

"Why are you here," came a throaty growl from the man.

"For the same reason I come every night. To ask you a question." He sighed as he repeated verbatim the same question once more. "Where is my mother?"

"And I'll tell you as I've told you every other night – I have no clue."

"You're lying!"

"Am I? Or are you afraid to admit the truth."

"What truth?"

"The truth that your mother abandoned us – abandoned you!"

Zuko gripped the bars tightly, anger etched on his face. "That's a lie! You _banished_ her!"

"And what did she do to deserve being banished, eh? She committed treason."

"Because you forced her to! You would have killed me otherwise!"

"Mere semantics. And where has your mother been all these years? Why hasn't she gotten in contact with you?"

Zuko remained silent.

The man stood up from where he was sitting and approached the bars. Prison life had not been kind to former Phoenix King Ozai. He had bags under his eyes and his body was covered in dirt and grime.

Ozai continued on. "I'll tell you why. Because your mother _forgot_ about you!"

"She did not!"

"And then you know what probably happened? Your mother probably died in a gutter, bottle in hand!"

Zuko clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking. It took all his effort not to punch his father out right then and there. "Shut up about her!"

"The truth hurts, doesn't it?!"

"Don't twist things around on me, Father! If Mother had tried to get in contact with me … if she ever returned here, you would have had her executed on the spot!"

"Zuko, that hurts me. I could _never_ have my wife put to death. I am not the monster that you and the Avatar have portrayed me as. I tried to save the world, to bring about a world of true peace. All for you, my son."

Zuko nearly retched. "You must be deluded, to try to justify yourself like that! If you were really so righteous – if you _really_ had my best interests at heart – you could _never_ have banished me on a hopeless mission to capture the Avatar!" He leaned forward and pointed at his left eye. "This scar shows you for the monster that you are!"

Ozai snorted. "Now who believes himself to be so righteous? _Who_ is deluded? Tell me, Zuko, while you sit here condemning _me_, what have you done with your sister?"

"Azula is receiving the top psychiatric care the Fire Nation can offer."

"That's not what I hear. I hear that you have her chained up in a prison cell, like a wild animal. Imagine that … your own sister, locked away, shunned from the world, alone and frightened…"

Zuko was trembling where he stood. "This isn't about Azula! She only received what she had coming to her!"

"Ah, so when I do something – such as discipline my child – I am labeled a tyrant, a monster. But when you lock away a little girl so that she never sees the light of day again, you are suddenly the 'good guy.' She had it 'coming to her.' How convenient."

"Enough!" The venom was clear in the boy's voice and he turned to leave. "You can sit and rot here!"

Ozai called after his retreating form. "You know, tomato is a really nice color for you!"

Zuko stopped and whirled around. "What did you just say?"

"The incident in the market. Don't look so surprised, news travels fast and I hear about all that goes on in the outside world. How amusing. Your own people hate you, yet they would love to see _me_ set back on the throne. Meanwhile, you can't even set foot outside without a mob forming. Tell me, Zuko, who is the _real_ prisoner here?"

"Things will change," Zuko replied. "I will make this nation prosperous – as it was before the war began. The people will see reason soon enough!"

"I sure hope so, Zuko. Though, forgive me, I doubt that if you were to have an … _accident_ … the people would miss you all that much."

_Accident?_

"What do you mean, 'accident'?"

"Oh nothing. Pay no heed to me; I'm just a lowly prisoner." Ozai suddenly grabbed the bars, his face pressed between them, his voice an odd hiss. "But know this … I _will _have my throne back. The people will welcome me back with open arms. And the war _will_ continue!"

Zuko shook his head. "You're insane. There's no way you would ever rule again, especially trapped behind those bars." Chuckling to himself, Zuko exited the room, closing the door behind him.

Ozai chuckled too and spoke more to himself. _"You're the one who's grown delusional, Zuko. These bars have never truly imprisoned me. While I've been 'trapped' in here, I've developed powers that you could only dream of…"_

* * *

Thanks for all the reviews guys! Please, if you have any suggestions, constructive criticism, anything at all you want to say, let me know. I'd love to hear what you guys think of this chapter. I'll try to crank out the next one during the next few days or so.


	3. Chapter 3: The Warriors of Kuruk

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

* * *

Book 4:

Air

Chapter three:

The Warriors of Kuruk

* * *

"I can't believe you're leaving so soon! You just got here!"

Kanna was standing in her igloo as Katara began packing up her belongings. "I know, Gran," she replied, stuffing a particularly annoying piece of clothing into her bag. "But Aang really needs us right now."

"I know." The old woman sighed as she sat down at a small table. "It's just that … I've missed you, that's all. I sent you away a year ago, a young girl, to face all kinds of perils. And now that you're back … I don't ever want to let you go again."

"It's not for good, Gran." She placed her hand on the elderly woman's shoulder. "We'll be back soon, I promise."

Kanna placed her hand on top of her granddaughters. "I know. Make me proud all over again."

The two warmly embraced.

Sokka lay in bed, bear skin covers wrapped around his snoring form. Aang lay awake next to him, thinking about yesterday's adventure. His first date with Katara, penguin sledding with her. It was almost perfect – except for that stupid blizzard! He mentally groaned.

_It would have been perfect!_

He sat up, and stretched. He looked down and happened to notice that his chest and arms seemed somewhat bigger than before. He hadn't really taken notice over the past few weeks, but now that he was examining them, there definitely was a size change. What was going on?

_Puberty!_

Excited, Aang froze some water into a mirror and began looking at himself, flexing his developing muscles. He just pictured himself a few months from now with a chiseled body. He beamed.

And it was at that moment that Katara came barging into their igloo.

Things seemed to stand still as Aang realized that Katara had seen him flexing in the mirror in his underwear. Blushing furiously, Aang pulled up his monk pants and an orange over-shirt.

Katara blushed too, embarrassed to have walked in on the young man. _He is getting pretty muscular_, she thought. _In a little while, he's going to be a total hottie – wait, where did that thought come from?!_

Aang looked up at her as he pulled on his boots. "So uh … Katara …" _This is so awkward. But hey, what do I have to be embarrassed about? We _are_ technically boyfriend and girlfriend._

"I was just coming to get you up," she answered hurriedly. "Yea, I figure we should leave soon if we're heading for the Eastern Air Temple."

He nodded. "Oh … yeah. I guess we should wake Sokka."

As if on cue, the sleeping boy began sleep-talking. _"No Gran, I don't want any artichokes. What?! The world ran out of meat?!" _He bolted upright, his eyes wide, screaming his lungs out. He stopped when he realized where he was.

Katara chuckled at him. "Bad dream?"

"No! I always scream when I wake up. It's a sign of manliness," he replied, nudging Aang.

"Then why did your scream sound like a girl's?"

"Shut up!"

"Anyway," his sister continued, "you need to get ready. We're leaving within an hour."

"Yea, yea, I'll be ready," he replied, waving her away. As soon as Katara left, he fell back into his bear-skin covers and began snoring anew.

* * *

The departure from the Southern Water Tribe had been a solemn one. Gran Gran had given them extra clothes and blankets that she had knitted, she gave Sokka some blubber poppers, and then she gave them a warning.

"Have a safe trip – and try to keep your eyes open. There are other … _dangers_ in the world besides the Fire Nation. My spirit senses something off. Just be careful."

And after a tearful farewell hug from all of them, they were gone on Appa.

After a few hours of traveling, Sokka was beginning to get antsy and started fidgeting in the back of the bison's saddle. Aang seemed to notice and so he asked, "what's the matter, Sokka?"

"I know what it is," Katara grinned. "We're nearing Kyoshi Island – Sokka wants to see Suki!"

Sokka leaned forward, his eyes wide and his hands clasped in front of him. "Please, Aang? I haven't seen her in _so_ long!"

"You just saw her two weeks ago," Katara admonished.

Sokka gave her a dirty look before returning his attention to Aang. "Please can we stop Aang? Please, please, please, please, _pleeeeeeease_?"

"Alright," Aang laughed. "I guess a pit stop isn't that bad of an idea!"

Katara folded her arms and said, "I'll go anywhere as long as I never have to hear Sokka plead like a girl ever again!"

* * *

The appearance of the Avatar's sky bison in the sky caused quite a stir on Kyoshi Island, and crowds of people arrived on the shores to watch as it made its landing. They cheered as soon as they saw the bald monk hop off, and one guy started gesticulating and foaming wildly at the mouth before he collapsed in a frothy mess.

"Let me through," came a voice. "Let me through!" A figure pushed its way through the crowds and stopped when she saw the Avatar and his friends. She made eye contact with a particular boy from the Water Tribe and –

"Cutie!"

A flamboyant girl flipped towards them and pressed her face within inches of Sokka's. "Heeey, cutie," she said in a flirty voice.

Sokka gulped and started backing away. "H-hey Ty Lee…" Ty Lee was dressed in her full Kyoshi Warrior regalia, and her face was painted white. The Kyoshi Warriors had very strict dress codes, but Ty Lee had managed to subtly work some pink into hers. Sokka couldn't help but notice how her dress accentuated her curves … _No, wait! Can't be thinking like that!_

"So how are you doing, Mr. Man," she asked, taking a few steps forward.

Sokka took a few more steps backward.

Ty Lee took a few more steps forward, her face beaming wildly, not even an inch away from his.

Sokka raised his finger in protest. "Uh, Ty Lee, remember that talk we had back in the Fire Nation?"

She put her finger up to her chin and looked up thoughtfully. "Uh … yea!"

"Do you remember what it was about?"

"No."

"Yes you do. It was about _personal space_." He deliberately emphasized the last two words.

"Hmm. Sounds pretty _boring_ to me! I'm more of an 'up close and personal' kind of girl! _If you know what I mean,_" she added seductively.

"Ty Lee!"

The voice came from behind them, and Sokka was very relieved to see Suki standing there. Then again, judging from the infuriated look on her face, maybe "relieved" was not the right word.

Suki pointed her finger towards the sandy beach. "Go do fifteen laps."

Ty Lee hung her head. "Aaaw man. I never get to have any fun…" And in a blur, she was gone. Suki watched her begin her laps and muttered under her breath.

_"I swear, I have to keep that girl on a leash."_

She turned back to Sokka, and then hugged him furiously. "I missed you," she exclaimed. She kissed him passionately on the lips. Sokka was feeling pretty good about himself. _Ty Lee, Suki … soon I'm going to have to get a bat to fend them off._

Suki pulled away from Sokka, and then bopped him on the head. "Oww! What was that for?!"

"You and Ty Lee. Just now!"

"Hey, you can't hit me for that! _She_ came on to _me_!"

Suki bopped him on the head again. "Yea, well that's for _enjoying_ it!"

"I didn't enjoy it!"

She narrowed her eye. "Yea, yea, sure." Then she kissed him again before turning to Aang and Katara.

Sokka muttered to himself. _"Girls are crazy."_

Suki embraced the Avatar and Waterbender. "I'm glad you guys came to visit! How long are you staying?"

"Just for the night," Katara answered. "Afterwards, we're heading to the Eastern Air Temple."

Suki seemed interested. "Oh, what for?"

"We're trying to find the location of a fifth air temple," Aang replied. "Hopefully, we can find some Air Nomads out there."

"I hope so too; I know how much this means to you, Aang." She motioned for them to follow. "Well, come on. You guys can stay in the same room as last time."

Suki prepared to lead them to their rooms when a spear suddenly whizzed past her head and embedded itself in a tree.

Appearing behind them were a group of teenage boys, dressed in blue Water Tribe clothing. One of the boys had his arm extended, having just thrown the spear. Aang was impressed. "Great aim," he said, examining how close the spear came to impaling Suki's head.

"What are you talking about," the boy scorned. "I missed."

Aang gulped.

Sokka leaned into Suki's ear and whispered, _"Who are these guys?"_

Suki grew angry and pointed at the boys. "They're wannabe's, that's all!"

"But who exactly are they," Aang asked.

The lead boy cleared his throat. "Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are the Warriors of Kuruk! We are an elite group of warriors, patterning ourselves after Avatar Kuruk, the greatest of the Avatars!"

Suki scoffed. "You guys are morons. Avatar Kyoshi is the greatest Avatar!"

Katara put her two cents in. "Actually, you guys both have it backwards. The greatest Avatar – is Avatar Aang!"

The leader Kuruk Warrior raised his eyebrow, seeing the bald monk before him. "Could it be?" There were whispers from the other boys, and the leader approached the Airbender and extended his hand. "My name is Shien. It is an honor to meet you, Avatar Aang!"

Aang took his hand. "Likewise."

Suki was sputtering. "D-don't shake his hand!" She batted the Avatar's hand away from Shien.

"What's you're problem," Shien screeched.

"You! We Kyoshi Warriors are in charge of this island, and you pompous freaks come dancing in here like you own the place, set up your own dojo, and then think you're better than everyone!"

Shien shrugged. "We don't _think_ we're better. We _are_ better!"

Suki grabbed Aang and Sokka's arms and began leading them away. "Come on," she snarled. "We don't have to sit here and listen to this!"

She dragged Sokka and Aang away, Katara following in tow.

* * *

"So, what exactly is your problem with the Warriors of Kuruk," Sokka asked as he, Aang, Katara and Suki sat down to dinner.

"You got all night," Suki questioned. "Where do I start? For one thing, _we _Kyoshi Warriors are in charge of this island. And then, not even two weeks ago, those freaks just show up out of the blue, set up their own dojo, and are demanding that we change the name to Kuruk Island!" She bleched. "_Not to mention_, that Shien is a total jerk, pushing everyone around."

"He didn't seem that bad," Aang interrupted. "He seemed kind of nice." Suki shot him a venomous glare.

The Kyoshi Warrior then cleared her throat and continued on. "Shien and his gang are demanding that we leave the island. He's been threatening us and his boys keep interrupting our training sessions! Do you realize we haven't had a single good session in over a week?!

"And that's not even the worst part! One of my own Kyoshi Warriors, who I expect to be totally loyal to _me_ … I caught her making out with one of those horrible Kuruk boys!" She made a nauseated face. _"Disgusting!"_

"Which girl was it," Aang asked.

Suki sighed. "Do I really have to tell you," she answered sardonically.

_"Ty Lee,"_ Aang, Katara and Sokka replied in unison.

"Why don't you try to get rid of them," Sokka asked.

Suki put her head in her hands. "Don't you think I've tried that?! My girls and I have done everything we could to get rid of them! But you can't get rid of them – they're like elephant-roaches!"

Sokka leaned back, his fingers steepled together thoughtfully. "I have a plan," he said slowly.

Suki leaned in eagerly. "You do?!"

He nodded. "I propose a tournament!"

"A tournament?"

Sokka nodded. "Here's what you do. You have a tournament; those Kuruk boys against your Kyoshi Warriors. Winner take all. The losers have to leave Kyoshi Island forever."

"Sokka, you're a genius!" She wrapped her arms around him and planted a big kiss on his cheek. "My girls could take those guys with both arms tied behind their backs!"

"Aang and I will issue the challenge tomorrow," Sokka replied. "Things like this have to be done formally, you know."

Katara, meanwhile, didn't seem too pleased. "_I _think this whole thing is ridiculous! I mean, a _tournament_ just to get rid of those boys! Kyoshi Island is a big island – why can't you two peacefully coexist?!"

"I've tried," Suki replied. "But those jerks just keep pushing us and pushing us!"

"I'm not saying that they're right," responded Katara. "All I'm saying is that there's got to be a way for you two to _share_ Kyoshi Island."

Suki seemed horrified at the prospect. "_Share_ Kyoshi Island?! But this is _Kyoshi Island_ – not Idiot Jerky Boy Island!"

"Yea Katara," said Sokka in defense of Suki. "Besides, stop being such a mom!"

Katara stood up. "I AM NOT A MOM!"

_Not yet, _Aang thought to himself, smiling warmly at the idea.

"When you guys stop being such children and learn to coexist with those guys, I'll be in my room waiting for an apology!" She shook her fist angrily at Sokka, before heading out.

Aang was split over the idea. Yea, he wanted to see the tournament, but he also wanted to score points with his new girlfriend. "I better go talk to her," he said, standing up. He then bolted out the door, calling after her. "Katara! KATARA!"

* * *

"Hmm, a tournament. I must say, I'm intrigued." Shien and two Kuruk Warriors stood on the beach that morning. Sokka and Aang had just proposed the challenge. "And you say the loser has to leave this island?"

Sokka nodded. "As per the rules," he answered, putting his hands on his hips.

Shien looked at his two cohorts. "What do you say, guys? Shall we accept?"

"Heck yea! We can take a bunch of girls!"

Shien smirked. "My thoughts exactly. Very well. The Warriors of Kuruk accept your invitation. Name the time and place!"

"The Kyoshi Warrior's dojo," Sokka replied. "At sundown!"

"We'll be there. But be sure this 'tournament' is open to the public. I want there to be an audience for when we humiliate those girls!" And the trio left to announce the tournament to the rest of their mates.

Aang and Sokka watched them go. "I have a bad feeling about this," the monk sighed.

Sokka looked at him with a wry grin. "Come on! What could _possibly_ go wrong?!" And he headed back towards the Kyoshi dojo.

_"I hate it when he says that," _Aang muttered under his breath.

* * *

That evening, all of Kyoshi Island was abuzz with the news of a tournament. Many people were scurrying to place bets on who was going to win. The masses filed into the Kyoshi Warrior's dojo to witness the tournament. Since there were no seats, the audience had to stand along the sides of a makeshift "ring" which had been drawn into the floor.

Outside, Sokka was standing near the entrance wearing his fake beard and putting on his phony "adult" voice. "Tickets! Get your tickets here!"

Aang came and joined him, a questioning look on his face. "Sokka … this is a free event. No one has to buy tickets!"

Sokka glared at him and whispered, _"Yea, but _they _don't know that!"_

Aang was incredulous. "So you're scalping tickets for a free event?"

"It's not 'scalping, it's … no wait, scalping actually describes it pretty well." He then saw a large man heading for the entrance, and briskly jogged past Aang, mustering a deep voice. "Excuse me, my good sir…"

The tournament began immediately at sundown. The rules were simple. There would be five one on one matches. Two opponents would enter the ring and basically duel. No weapons of any kind were allowed. The match would be over when one opponent either surrendered or was unable to fight anymore. Best out of three won.

Suki and four of her best girls were standing in the corner. The leader of the Kyoshi Warriors was giving her girls a prep talk. "Alright, ladies, let's show those _men_ who's the best!" And a crazed gleam appeared in her eye. "And if we lose, so help me…!"

The loud chatter of talking immediately died down as an announcer/referee entered the ring. "Ladies and gentlemen, Kyoshi Island is pleased to announce the beginning of Water-Earth Rumble I!"

The crowd cheered and went nuts. Sokka (beard still pasted on his chin), jumped up and down. "Come on, Kyoshi Warriors, tear those Kuruk jerks apart!"

The first match began and the first Kuruk Warrior proudly stepped into the ring. The inhabitants of the island loudly booed him and Sokka threw refuse at him.

His opponent stepped, or rather flipped, into the ring – Ty Lee. Her wide eyes shone with excitement. "You're my opponent?! Wow, you're kind of cute!"

A bell _dinged_ and the match began.

With an animalistic roar, the Kuruk Warrior pounced for his opponent. Ty Lee gracefully flipped out of the way. She was so light on her feet that she seemed to be floating. Laughing giddily, the bubbly girl gently poked him in the elbows, then the ribs, then behind the legs.

The Kuruk Warrior stood there for a moment, confused, before falling flat on his face. "Argh! I can't move! What have you done to me?!"

"It's called 'chi-blocking'," Suki screamed from the sidelines. "Take that, jerky … jerk man!"

Sokka nudged her softly. "Ugh, Suki … leave the trash-talking to the professionals."

The announcer jumped into the ring and raised Ty Lee's hand high into the air. "And the winner is … Ty Lee!"

The Kyoshi Warriors erupted into cheers, and the Kuruk Warriors erupted into jeers and catcalls.

For half an hour, the tournament continued on until it reached the final round. The score was now tied, two to two. This final match would be the deciding one. The announcer stepped back into the ring, and called out, "And now for the final match! Suki vs. Shien!"

"Give 'em hell," Sokka encouraged.

"I intend to."

Suki marched into the ring, head held high. Shien was already waiting for her, arms crossed. "You girls have done well tonight, but that ends here! There's no way a girl could ever be an equal to _me_!"

The Kyoshi Warrior rolled her eyes. "Please, you're not in the Northern Water Tribe anymore! You'll find we Earth Kingdom girls aren't so docile!"

Shien raised his hands into a fighting position. "Indeed? Then I'll just have to break you!"

The bell _dinged_ and the two went at it.

Suki noticed immediately how similar Shien's fighting style was to hers. Even though he wasn't a Waterbender, his moves had the fluidity of one. It was about balance, using the opponent's own weight against them while expending as little energy as possible. Very similar to how the Kyoshi Warriors fought.

The two dueled around the ring, neither able to gain the advantage over the other. "For the record," Suki announced, sweat pouring from her face and messing her makeup, "I really detest you!"

"I detest your face!"

"I detest everything about you!"

"I hope you drop off the face of the earth!"

There was a pause in the fighting. Both were panting and dripping with sweat. "What's the matter," Suki taunted. "This girl too much for you?"

Shien made a rude gesture with his hand, and there was a collective "ooh," coming from the crowd. "It'll be a cold day in the Fire Nation before a girl ever gets the best of me!"

With a roar, the two flung themselves back into the duel. They finally fought to a standstill. Shien had Suki in a headlock, and Suki was beating him around the waist.

"Give up," Shien yelled. His face was filled with strain, and he let out a sudden yelp. Suki had grabbed his arm and was proceeding to give him severe Indian burns.

"You give up," she screamed, giving him another Indian burn.

He gritted his teeth, trying to hold in the pain. "N-never!"

She placed her hands just above his wrist, preparing another burn. "Do it!"

"No!"

"Have it your way." She was about to give him another Indian burn when suddenly, a loud _boom_ stopped the fight. The ground beneath them quaked and Suki and Shien suddenly let go of each other.

The audience squealed in fright as the ground rocked again.

"What's going on," Suki demanded.

Someone came bustling into the dojo from the outside, sheer horror on his face. "Kyoshi Island – it's under attack!"

* * *

Suki, the Kyoshi and Kuruk Warriors, Aang, Sokka and Katara rushed outside to see smoke coming from the village. And then another explosion sent flames high up into the sky.

Five monstrous rhinoceros-like beasts appeared in the center of town, and riding on them were five large men. They all wore the colors of the Fire Nation. One of the four riders, a man wearing a helmet, lit a grenade and threw it through a window. The inside of the building erupted into flame.

Suki could feel tears welling in her eyes. She remembered when Prince Zuko had come trying to capture the Avatar last winter. He had practically burned their village to the ground – she wouldn't allow it to happen again.

Aang leaped forward and landed gracefully in front of the five riders. He twirled his staff, his face a mask of anger. He immediately recognized his enemies – the Rough Rhinos, a group of Fire Nation mercenaries. "I'm only going to give you one warning … leave now. Trust me, you don't want any of this!"

The leader of the group, Colonel Mongke chuckled. "Looks like the reports were accurate after all boys. The Avatar _is_ here!" He looked at the rest of his men. "I don't know about any of you, but I'm itching for a little bit of revenge." The other men nodded in affirmation.

The leader rode his rhino up to Aang, a cruel smirk plastered across his features. "I'm glad that it was my men and I that found you. You've ruined our nation, humiliated our great Fire Lord Ozai and placed that spineless wimp Zuko on the throne! We've been hunting you for the past week, and we're going to make you pay big time, Avatar!" With a wave of his hand, a jet of flame roared towards the Avatar.

Aang twirled his staff, reflecting it with some Airbending. Colonel Mongke waved to the rest of his men. "Come on boys, it's show time!"

The Rough Rhinos began to spread out and surround the Avatar.

* * *

Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors were already springing into action. Using their collapsible shields, they charged forward, creating a barrier around Aang. Colonel Mongke snorted, before unleashing another jet of flame.

"Shields," Suki screamed, and the girls raised their shields in unison, desperately trying to hold the fire back.

And then it stopped.

Suki peered around the edge of her shield to see Colonel Mongke flat on his back, his rhino beast rampaging off into the distance. Two Kuruk warriors stood over him, having knocked him off of his mount.

The other four Rough Rhinos didn't seem to like this, and they charged forward, weapons brandished.

The helmeted Rough Rhino lit up a series of firecrackers, throwing it at the group of girls. It had the desired effect, scattering them. And there was Aang, staff raised. The Avatar prepared to move into action, but the grenadier was suddenly struck in the head by a club, and he toppled off of his mount. Another Kuruk Warrior jumped after him, club raised up again.

Suki, meanwhile, was engaged in a struggle against a burly Rough Rhino who was wielding a spear. He thrust forward, and Suki barely managed to block it with her shield. A few feet away, the archer of the Rough Rhinos raised his bow and took aim at the Kyoshi Warrior. This particular archer had once been a member of the Yu-Yan archers, legendary for their precise aim. He wouldn't miss.

Too late did Sokka see the danger. "Suki!"

With a _twang_, the arrow sailed free and headed straight for Suki's heart.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the incoming attack, and agilely twisting her body in midair, she brought her shield up, deflecting it.

Unfortunately, the other Rough Rhino she had been fighting took the distraction to launch a sneak attack, bringing the butt-end of his spear to bear on her shoulder. Suki fell to the ground, and the Rough Rhino brought his mount over to her. He pointed the tip of his spear towards her heart, ready to finish her off.

Sokka moved through the fighting, desperately trying to get to his girlfriend in time. He wouldn't make it. Thinking fast, he raised his new boomerang (replacing the one he lost during Sozin's Comet), and was about to throw it, when the spear-wielder was knocked unconscious by a different boomerang.

Suki sat up to see the second boomerang spinning back into its owner's hand – Shien's. The Kuruk Warrior stood over Suki, and held out his hand. She took it and he helped her up.

"You saved me…"

"Yea, well, don't get any funny ideas."

The two warriors stood there, watching the fighting continue. "What would you say to a temporary truce," Shien asked. Noting Suki's furrowed expression he waved his hand quickly. "At least until these guys are taken care of."

Looking at the damage being done to her village, Suki quickly made up her mind. "Agreed." And now the two warriors, Kuruk and Kyoshi, fought side by side.

Aang was locked in furious combat with Colonel Mongke. Mongke was the only Firebender in his team, but he was still a powerful one. Aang used his Airbending to diffuse any flames that came his way, but Mongke was pretty fast. Aang wouldn't be able to block them all…

Katara came to his rescue, bending water from the nearby sea. Streaming it furiously, she whipped Colonel Mongke about the head, and then blasted him up against the side of a building. Exhaling deeply, she lowered her arms in a graceful motion, and the water froze, trapping Mongke in a brick of solid ice.

All around them, the combination of Kyoshi and Kuruk Warriors were mopping up the rest of the Rough Rhinos. In a matter of moments, the fighting had ended.

* * *

The sun rose over Kyoshi Island, bringing with it the coolness of a brisk Autumn day. The Rough Rhinos had been rounded up, and would be sent to nearby Earth Kingdom authorities to be imprisoned. Their rhino-mounts would be sent to a nearby zoo.

Aang, Katara and Sokka had left not even a half an hour ago. It wasn't fair! Suki hadn't seen Sokka for two whole weeks, she barely got to see him for a whole day, and now he was going on another adventure and who knew when he would be back? He had kissed her goodbye, and told her he would be back soon.

She prayed for him to be safe, still feeling his kiss on her lips. She had watched the sky, until Appa's form became a small dot and vanished completely.

So now she stood by the shore, allowing a gentle breeze to caress her form. Her village had taken some heavy damage from last night's confrontation. It would take months to fix it. She looked up at the nearby statue of Avatar Kyoshi, and shook her head. Avatar Kyoshi would have been able to prevent the village from taking damage. She still had a long way to go to emulate her hero.

She heard footsteps and whirled around to see Shien standing there. "Nice autumn morning. That's what I love about this island – the atmosphere, the culture, everything is so … _right!_"

"Is that why you want to change it over to 'Kuruk Island'?"

Shien rubbed the back of his head. "Yea … about that. My warriors and I had a long discussion last night, and we decided to maybe … back down from trying to take over."

"So does that mean you'll leave?!"

Shien raised his palm. "Don't get carried away. We'll build our dojo on the other side of the island, where we won't get in each other's way. Sound fair?"

Suki raised an eyebrow. "Why the change of heart?"

"Well, some of my warriors have taken an … _interest_ in some of your girls. In particular -."

Suki cut him off. "You don't have to tell me – Ty Lee."

He nodded.

Suki shook her head. "So that's the only reason? Because a few of your guys have the hots for some of my girls?"

"Don't make it sound so shallow! That's only one reason. The other is, well … the Avatar gave me a stern talking to. He told me all about how he met Avatar Kuruk in the Spirit World … about how his wife's face was stolen by Koh. Avatar Kuruk's been my hero for so long … and I just don't feel as though he would be too happy with me trying to force you lot off your island."

He held out his hand. "So … truce?"

Suki nodded and firmly grasped his hand. "Truce."

Shien smiled as he watched the sunrise, deep in thought. He shifted uncomfortably, and Suki recognized that he wanted to say something but didn't quite know how. Finally, he just opened his mouth and said, "There's something I'm curious about."

"What?"

"That boyfriend of yours…"

"Sokka? What about him?"

Shien took in a deep breath and said, "Has he always been like that, or did someone drop him on his head as a baby?"

Suki tried to hold in her laughter. "Well, we _all_ have our theories. Aang thinks that as a child, he was probably deprived of air."

They both laughed. Shien cleared his throat. "Well, I personally think he's hilarious – a real character, ya know? And that fake beard – do you think he would lend it to me?"

The two shared their first laugh together as friends.

* * *

There's a filler chapter for you guys. I wanted to get some Suki and Ty Lee in here because they won't be appearing for a few chapters.

Next chapter, the villains begin putting their plans into action…

Comments? Questions? Suggestions? I'd love to hear what you guys think so far.


	4. Chapter 4: The Assassins

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

* * *

Book 4:

Air

Chapter four:

The Assassins

* * *

"Is he … you know?"

"Yea. It's a shame. He was so well liked."

There was a cold tension in the air as the two guards stood in the alleyway over the prone form lying before them. The one guard sighed, rubbing his temples. "Alright, get a sheet and cover him. We'll have to contact his family. Then begins the hell of the investigation."

The other guard was kneeling down next to the corpse, examining it closely. He noticed something odd about the man's chest, and moved aside part of the collar to investigate further.

"Sir … you might want to take a closer look at this!"

* * *

Fire Lord Zuko burst through the doors of an underground chamber. Two soldiers flanked him and explained the situation.

"He was found earlier this evening. Normally we wouldn't bother you with a common murder, but because he was someone so high up in your war cabinet …"

Zuko nodded and cut him off with a wave of his hand. "No need to explain yourself, Captain. You were just doing your duty."

Here in this lair was where the police force of the Fire Nation carried out their investigations. Zuko proudly gazed over his men dotting out maps, pouring over data, etc.

And here was the corpse, a white sheet covering it. Zuko looked to the Captain for permission before peeling the sheet back, revealing the victim's face. The Fire Lord recognized it immediately.

It was Commander Jee. Zuko bit back his tears, trying to be sure. Jee was one of his closest men. He was with him for three years during his exile and hunt for the Avatar. Their relationship had been stormy to say the least. For one thing, Jee didn't approve of Zuko's methods of capturing the Avatar – he believed that Zuko's tactics put all of them at risk.

Then, during siege of the North Pole, Jee and the rest of his crew had been forced into the service of Admiral Zhao. After the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai by the Avatar, Jee returned to the Fire Nation, where he was made a member of Zuko's personal war cabinet. In fact, Jee was one of the preeminent Loyalists to Zuko, countering those who opposed the young boy.

The fact that he was dead smacked of a political assassination.

"Are there any leads," he inquired.

The captain shook his head. "None, sir. But rest assured, my men are working as fast as we can. We _will_ bring the killer to justice."

Zuko nodded grimly and swallowed hard. He had his suspicions alright. One of the prime suspects was the organization known as A.. (Alliance to Restore Ozai). Of course it would make sense that they would murder one of the most influential Loyalists in the Fire Nation.

He closely examined the body. Jee's face seemed peaceful, serene – if Zuko didn't know any better, he would have believed that the man was quietly sleeping. "Do you know what killed him," he asked.

The captain and his counterpart looked at each other, and then back at their ruler. "No. That's what's so odd! Our best medical experts studied the body for at least two hours. No injuries, no blood, no bruises – a paper-cut at the very _worst_! But … there is one thing …"

The captain pulled the sheet further down, exposing Jee's chest. There, as if burned into his skin, was a strange symbol. Zuko had never seen anything like it. "Could that have caused his death?"

"No way. The burn is severe, sure, but it couldn't have caused death of any kind. It was as though he just … _died_."

Zuko whirled around angrily. "People don't _just_ die, Captain! I want this investigation to be your top priority, do you understand?"

He gulped. "Yes sir."

Shifting his royal robes up his shoulders, Zuko turned around and briskly paced out of the room. They would hold a funeral for Jee, his former comrade. The man had been with him through thick and thin, even when Zuko had been pigheaded at times.

He would bring the killer to justice. It was the least he could do for the man.

But what disturbed him was that strange symbol, seemingly burned into Jee's chest…

* * *

The funeral for Commander Jee was held the next evening. Very few came outside of government officials. Jee had been a faithful supporter of Zuko's, and the general populace wanted nothing to do with him at all.

Zuko sat on a large podium atop a massive staircase outside the royal palace. This had been the exact place that his father had been crowned Fire Lord after the death of his grandfather. Mai sat at his side. She did the best she could to comfort him, which was saying a lot for her. She gently rubbed the top of his hand.

The Fire Lord didn't say anything as the funeral commenced. The coffin lay at the foot of the stairs, and two Fire Sages proceeded to carry out their nation's holy rituals.

As several pallbearers carried the coffin away, the heavy thud of footsteps caught Zuko's attention. It was War Minister Qin, the head of the war cabinet. He was bent over, panting profusely. His face was beet red and sweat trickled down his cheeks. "Sorry … I'm late … Did I miss … anything?" He straightened himself up, struggling to catch his breath.

Zuko didn't even look at the man. "The funeral's over."

"I missed it?" Qin smacked his forehead. "I'm so sorry, I would have been here sooner but I was held up with … _things_."

For the first time, Zuko looked at him. "This was a funeral for one of your colleagues, War Minister! I expect _all _government officials to be here – including you! Next time something like this happens, you be here!"

Qin fumbled over his robes as he hurriedly bowed. "Yes, Your Highness!"

The Fire Lord rose from his seat and proceeded to head for the palace. Mai shot a glare at the War Minister, then hurried to catch up to her boyfriend.

"Don't you think you were a little hard on him?"

"I have to be hard. I'm running an entire nation that wants to slit my throat – I have to show them that I have a backbone. I can't let my enemies perceive me to be weak!"

"Don't be ridiculous! You're not weak."

"Compared to Aang and Katara, I am. I couldn't even stand up to Azula on my own – it was Katara who brought her down!"

Mai silenced him by pressing her finger to his lips. "You took a lightning bolt for her. It takes a strong person to do that. You rejected your father for what you knew was right, you taught the Avatar Firebending, and most impressive, you've been able to handle dating me. So if I ever hear you say you're weak again, I'm throwing you out the window!"

A sly smile began to cross Zuko's face. "Are you actually showing emotion, Mai?"

She shoved him into the wall.

_"Dream on, spaz."_

* * *

The Fire Lord lay down his royal headpiece on a desk and stripped off his outer robes. Switching into some night clothes, he blew out his candles before throwing himself into his four poster bed.

He lay awake in bed, hands behind his head, gazing at the ceiling. The whole nation was turning against him a little more each day. Now this assassination. What would Uncle do?

Zuko just imagined what advice Iroh would give him. _"Zuko, to gain the affection of others, you must first gain the affection of yourself by looking inside yourself to find the true meaning of yourself."_

He rubbed his eyes. "Even when Itry to talk like him, I _still_ can't understand what he's saying!"

As he mused in his own thoughts, he suddenly heard a scampering sound come from across his room. He sat up and looked around. Nothing. "Damn crow-rats."

He laid his head back on his pillow.

_Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta._

There it was again!

He bolted upright, and suddenly he sensed something above him. Instinctively, he unleashed some fire at the ceiling. And there, briefly, illuminated by his burst of flame, he was able to make out a figure clinging to the ceiling. A figure dressed all in black.

Zuko's attack missed. Leaping out of bed, he raised his hands, looking around the room. There was definitely someone here; perhaps the one who murdered Commander Jee.

A series of darts flung out from the darkness, and it was only Zuko's quick reflexes that prevented him from becoming swiss cheese. He retaliated with another flame blast.

The assassin moved incredibly fast and agilely, bouncing off the walls. Another series of darts came Zuko's way. The Fire Lord incinerated them before they could hit their mark.

And something suddenly grabbed his ankles from out of the darkness. Zuko was flung to the ground and the assassin sat on top of him, pinning his wrists to the ground with one hand. With the other, he bound them together with tight rope. Unable to Firebend from his hands, he opened his mouth, preparing to release a jet of flame from his throat.

That was when Zuko noticed the assassin produce a small vial filled with a light green liquid. The assassin prepared to pour the vile concoction down Zuko's now open mouth. Zuko immediately closed his mouth, not knowing what the potion would do.

But the problem was, the assassin had used his free hand to tightly grip Zuko's nose, preventing him from inhaling. The assassin was patient. The Fire Lord would only be able to hold his breath for so long. And when he opened his mouth to draw in air, he would have him.

Zuko could feel his lungs burning in his chest, screaming out for precious oxygen. But he was resilient and his will was strong.

But his will was stronger than his body. Unable to take it anymore, Zuko opened his mouth, gasping for air.

That was when the assassin brought the vial to his open mouth and prepared to pour the foul concoction down Zuko's throat.

* * *

Zuko suddenly felt less pressure on his stomach. He no longer felt his nose being squeezed shut – he could breathe again! Inclining his head upward, he no longer saw the assassin pinning him to the ground. The ropes binding his hands were suddenly cut, and he leaped to his feet, preparing to blast the first thing that moved.

Thankfully, he had learned some self-restraint from his uncle as the first thing that moved happened to be Mai. She had two stilettos in her hands.

Something caught his attention from the side of the room. It was the assassin – he was squirming around, his clothing pinned to the wall by several of Mai's stilettos. His feet dangled off the ground.

"Are you alright," Mai asked curtly.

"Never better." He moved towards the black-clad warrior and removed the man's mask. It was a young man, no older than Zuko himself. As soon as his face was revealed, he spat a wad into the Fire Lord's face. Unfazed, Zuko leaned forward. "Who hired you?" His voice was calm, yet intense.

The assassin didn't flinch. In fact, he said nothing at all.

Zuko was beginning to lose his patience. "Who hired you?!"

The silent warrior's jaw held firm. He would give him nothing.

The Fire Lord grabbed the man's shirt fiercely, and there was fire in his eyes. "I will not ask you again!"

With a snarl, the assassin kicked out with his feet, forcing the Fire Lord back. Then he pressed his feet against the wall and shot his body forward, pulling himself free of Mai's stilettos and shredding his shirt in the process. He slammed his fist into the floor as he landed and then launched several darts at the Fire Lord from his sleeve.

Mai was ready. Using her skillful accuracy, she deflected his darts with some of her own.

Zuko charged forward, hammering the assassin against the wall. The assassin smashed his head down, bashing Zuko's skull. The two staggered about in a daze, before shaking it off and moving to attack again.

Rolling her eyes, Mai flicked a simple stiletto at the assassin, piercing his leg. He let out a wail and fell on his side, nursing his wounded leg. Zuko gripped him by the shirt once again and asked, "Who hired you?"

The assassin reached into his robes and pulled out another vial of potion. And for the first time he spoke.

"Death to all blood-traitors."

And very quickly, the assassin drank the potion. His body stiffened at once, and then went limp. Zuko stood over his dead body, and then kneeled to pick up the now empty vial. There were a few drops of the liquid left. He examined it in his hand, before dozens of royal guards bolted into the room.

"What's going on in here," the captain asked.

"Gee, what took you so long," was Mai's sarcastic comment.

Zuko pressed the empty vial into the captain's hand. "I want this analyzed." He then pushed his way past the guards and out of the room, covering himself with a long outer robe.

"Where are you going," Mai asked.

"There's someone I've got to talk to."

* * *

Zuko made his way to the towering prison complex. It was eerily quiet, and the guards were like unmoving statues. He motioned for them to stay where they were – he didn't need them to lead the way to his father's cell anymore.

He ascended up the towering staircases and into the highest security wing. No one tried to stop him since he was the Fire Lord – he had full access to all restricted areas. He moved towards the door that would lead to his father's cell, twisted the knob and –

The door was flung open from the other side and Zuko nearly fell flat on his rear. He looked up to see -.

"Qin!"

War Minister Qin stood there with a look of surprise, his eyes wide and his mouth agape.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness. I didn't realize you were on the other side and I -."

Zuko waved him off. "Don't worry about it," he replied, dusting his clothes off. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

Qin stuttered around. "I … uh … I was … I was just visiting … old friend, you know …?"

Zuko nodded. "I understand, Qin."

The War Minister furiously shook his hand before scurrying off. Zuko made a mental note that Qin had just come from his father's cell. He would have to keep an eye on the War Minister.

Sighing, Zuko walked through the door and found his father's cell.

Ozai perked up when his son entered, and he let out a groan. "How many times must I tell you – I _still _don't know anything about your mother!"

Zuko waved him away. "Never mind that."

Ozai looked up, surprised. "Ah, you have something else on your mind – and you've come to dear old daddy to talk. How sweet, but I would think that this kind of talk would be better suited for your uncle."

"Don't play dumb, Father. I know it was you who sent the assassin to kill Commander Jee and myself."

"You hurt me, Zuko. You think that I would send an assassin after my own child?"

Zuko pointed to his scar. "Any man who could do this to their child is capable of anything! Besides, you've tried to kill me several times before!"

"The past is the past, son." Zuko flinched at Ozai's use of the word "son." It just didn't sound right to him. The former Fire Lord continued speaking. "The fact is, if you're so incompetent as to allow an assassin into your own palace, then that's your fault. Perhaps you should increase security – or maybe I am right and you're just not fit to rule the Fire Nation."

"I know you sent that assassin, Father," Zuko growled. "And I know you're in cahoots with Qin. I'll prove it and I'll stop your plans before you can put them into motion!"

"I'm sure you will, Zuko. But you'll find that our little game of Pai Sho is much more complicated than that. Make one mistake and it's game over!"

Shaking his head, Zuko walked out of his father's cell.

* * *

That morning, Zuko sat down to breakfast. Speaking to his father last night had only served to aggravate him, and he had a pounding headache. It was then that the captain decided to interrupt him.

"Sir, we've analyzed that substance the assassin tried to use on you last night."

"And?"

"And, it's a fast working poison. It shuts down all the body's systems and organs at once – and then it diffuses into the blood. It's quick and it leaves no traces."

"So that's it then." Zuko slumped down in his chair. "The assassin must've used it on Commander Jee."

"That would explain a lot."

"What about that assassin? Has anyone identified his body?"

"Not yet, sir. No name, nothing. He just appeared from out of nowhere."

Zuko said nothing. He was lost in thought. Finally, "Where's Qin?"

The captain simply shrugged. "He left in quite a hurry this morning. Said he had some … business to attend to."

"I want you to keep an eye on him. Report any suspicious activity. I think he and my father might be behind these assassins."

"Yes, sir."

"And also … I think we should increase security here at the palace."

The captain nodded. "We'll hire more guards, sir. Post them at every entrance and exit."

Zuko stood up, and moved past the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to spend some time with Mai."

"Are you sure that's wise? What if the assassins strike again?"

The younger man grinned. "Don't worry – if they know anything about Mai, they won't even try!"

* * *

Zuko and Mai reclined outside on a blanket, watching the sunset that evening. They had spent the day together. Mai wanted to get her boyfriend's mind off of the death of Jee, and plus, she would be able to keep an eye on him in case any assassins showed up.

"Why do you insist on this every week? I told you last week, I hate sunsets."

"I know. I just love you when you hate everything."

"Yea well, you're on my short list of 'things I _don't_ hate."

"You don't hate me?" He raised his eyebrows. "Is that the equivalent of 'I love you'?"

She folded her arms and pouted. "I hate when you play games."

"And that's why I play them." He leaned close to her cheek. "Like I said – I love it when you hate everything."

She faced him and the two leaned in to kiss -.

They were interrupted by the captain.

"Fire Lord!"

Zuko smacked his forehead and looked at the officer. He tried to bottle in his annoyance, and he ground his teeth as he spoke. "_Yes_ … captain!"

"Sir, it's … it's Qin."

Zuko stood up suddenly. One look at the captain's face told him something was very wrong. "What is it, Captain? What did Qin do?"

"We found him in his bedroom, sir. He's … well he's …"

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"He's dead!"

* * *

The descending sun shone orange into the open window of the bedroom, but it did nothing to brighten the mood. The Fire Lord, his captain and several guards crowded around the room. The former War Minister Qin lay on the floor, his body stiff as a board. He had his arms still raised, his expression forever frozen in an eternal scream. Again, he had died under mysterious circumstances – like Jee.

"What about his chest," Zuko asked. "Does he have that symbol?"

The captain kneeled down, and parted Qin's shirt open.

There it was. The same symbol they found on Jee's body was burned into Qin's chest.

Zuko surveyed the room. The window was closed and locked – it hadn't been broken or forced open. No, the assassin had been in the room the whole time – waiting for his chance to strike.

Two guards took a white sheet and put it over Qin's body. One guard lifted him under his shoulders and the other by his legs and they hoisted his body out of the room.

The captain lingered behind and put his hand on Zuko's shoulder. "The Royal Palace is no longer safe."

The Fire Lord nodded. "Increase palace security. We can't take anymore chances. I won't let my father interfere with this nation any longer."

He staggered out of the door, leaving the captain to look out the window and sigh. Things in the Fire Nation were going to change alright.

For the better or for the worse was yet to be seen.

* * *

Night had descended over the capitol.

The Fire Nation had increased its security in the wake of the assassinations over the past two days. The citizens soon found themselves virtually surrounded by guards in the streets. Checkpoints had been set up on the streets.

The Fire Lord was trying to make the capitol a safer place. In reality, all he was doing was serving to make himself even more hated by the people.

That night, the only sound that could be heard were footsteps, echoing off of the cobbled streets. A lone figure strode through the night. A cold wind blew, and he adjusted his hood and cape.

He had an important meeting tonight.

He hid behind the corner of a building as a group of royal guards marched down the street. He stayed still until he was sure they were gone. When he was certain, he rushed down the street and into a nearby alley.

The hooded man appeared to be alone in the alleyway, but then there were loud footsteps coming from the other side of the alley. A large man appeared out of the shadows.

The hooded man acknowledged him. "Good, you're here." He reached into a chest pocket and withdrew a small piece of paper folded in fours. He handed it to the larger man, who opened it. His eyes grazed over the paper, silently reading the contents.

"These are your instructions. I sure hope you won't disappoint me. Your reputation is legendary, but after your previous … accident, I wonder if I made a mistake to hire you. I hope you can prove me wrong."

The large man narrowed his eyes, but said nothing.

The other grinned under his hood. "Just follow those instructions, and you'll be well paid." He turned and began walking out of the alley, a confident air about him.

_Everything is going according to plan._

Back in the alleyway, the larger man folded his instructions back up and put it in his thick vest. Then the Combustion Man turned and slipped back into the shadows.


	5. Chapter 5: The Eastern Air Temple

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

* * *

Book 4:

Air

Chapter five:

The Eastern Air Temple

* * *

"Hmm, I just can't make up my mind. What do you think my good sir? The yellow leaves or the pink ones?" Iroh was standing in the merchant district of Ba Sing Se holding up two leaves to the sky, examining them critically. The merchant was becoming irritated and Toph was beginning to join him. She had her back to the stall and her arms were crossed.

"Can we go yet?"

"Now Toph, picking out tea leaves is an art form. You cannot just rush through it. Careful consideration must be taken to decide what ingredients to include. But it's just so hard!" He looked down at the leaves. "Perhaps if I tasted them…" His tongue flicked out, tasting each leaf. The vendor wrinkled his nose.

"Look sir, I have other customers to attend to. Are you gonna buy anything or not?"

Iroh's eyes twinkled. "I'll take both!" He tossed some coins at the vendor.

"Finally," was Toph's relieved sigh. "I just want to back to the Dragon and lie down."

"Of course. But first we have to finish shopping."

Toph stopped short, her mouth hanging slack. "But I thought you just needed to get ingredients!"

"Yes, but as we passed that antique shop, I noticed the most splendid little figurine of a dancing platypus-bear and it would look so beautiful near the entrance of the shop!" He clasped his hands in joy as he fantasized about it. "Don't worry, Toph. It won't take that long. I just want that figurine."

* * *

Three hours had gone by and it was already late afternoon. The sun beat down heavily upon them as Iroh practically floated down the street in a giddy daze. Toph staggered behind him, holding numerous packages and parcels. The old man had been on quite the shopping spree. It started with that platypus-bear figurine, but it didn't end there. For three long hours Toph had been bearing with the old man as he found one new trinket after another.

"Ooh, look at the colors of this!

"Ooh, this would look so good in the corner!

"Ooh, ooh, ooh!"

Toph nearly dropped the top parcel, managing to catch it with her shoulder. Holding her neck to the side, she asked, "Can we go now?"

Iroh was currently surveying a flower merchant. He was thinking of adding a garden in the backyard of the Jasmine Dragon. Hearing Toph's voice brought him back to a sort of reality.

"My goodness! Look at the time," he exclaimed. Apologizing profusely to the merchant for wasting his time, Iroh began hurrying down the streets, Toph struggling to keep up. "The Jasmine Dragon's been closed all morning! My faithful customers …"

"Hold on," Toph called to him. "We can get there much faster with Earthbending."

Iroh stopped and Toph motioned for him to come closer. "Just hold on to me."

The tea maker placed his hand on the girl's shoulder, and she kicked up her legs, creating a wave of earth in the ground that propelled them forward towards the shop.

"Whoa … slow down!" Iroh was screaming for dear life as he held onto Toph's shoulder, shredding along the wave of earth. "Please, can we stop for a moment?! I feel like I'm going to be sick!"

Toph stopped instantly, and Iroh sat down on the ground, holding his great belly. "Just give me a minute…"

As much as shopping with the old man irritated her, Toph did have a soft spot for the big lug. "How about we have some lunch?" He reached inside his pocket and withdrew a sandwich. Pulling it in half, he gave one piece to Toph.

The blind girl flopped herself on the ground next to him and devoured the sandwich.

As they sat in the alleyway, a figure darted above the rooftops. Toph, being blind, had her other four senses heightened. She could hear the air currents swirling around the person. She constructed a rough mental image in her head.

Wide-brimmed hat. Long robes.

Yup, it was definitely a Dai Li agent.

Toph stood up quickly, trying to figure out what direction he was going in. It was impossible … he was too far gone.

She quickly put the incident out of her mind as she heard her friend burp loudly next to her. And after all, it was just _one _agent.

But Toph kept the information buried deep in the back of her head. The Dai Li were definitely here again in Ba Sing Se.

And she was going to find out what they were up to.

* * *

"The Eastern Air Temple." There was a disheartening tone in the Avatar's voice as he observed one of his people's ancient dwelling places. He had a few memories here, of this place. This was where the sky bison were raised – this was where he had picked out Appa to be his bison.

This place used to be run by female Air Nomads – Air nuns. They were as kind and cheerful as any male monk – even Gyatso. He even remembered the head nun, Sister Iio.

And then, just last spring, he had come here to meet with Guru Pathik in the hopes of learning how to open his blocked chakras and control the Avatar State. He came so close … and then he failed. He left when he learned that Katara was in danger, and he just couldn't let her go.

He would still make the same decision today, however.

Which reminded of him.

"Guru Pathik!"

He suddenly took off up the steps leading to the inside of the structure, leaving Katara and Sokka behind him.

"Hey, wait for us!"

Aang rushed to the outdoor meditation area, where he pictured the guru sitting in meditation and every so often taking a sip of onion-banana juice.

But when he got there, it was empty. There was no one there.

Just like the Air Nomads who once inhabited this place, old guru was gone, and Aang had no idea to where.

* * *

Aang had been looking forward to meeting with the guru, to tell him about his discovery of Gyatso's journal and the fifth air temple, but it was not to be. Pathik had probably left the temple after hearing of Aang's victory over the Fire Lord to journey the world.

So now the young Airbender turned his attention to more pressing matters. They still needed to look for clues that could lead them to the fifth air temple. He scratched his bald head. "Now where was that library?"

Momo seemed to understand what the boy was saying, and so he took off down the hallway. Shrugging, the trio followed the critter to a large door. He chattered, pointing at the doorway. "Good job, Momo," he praised, patting the lemur on the head. He pushed the doors open and they entered the library.

The problem was, there was already someone sitting inside.

* * *

Aang approached the stranger and cleared his throat. The man, who had his nose buried in a thick book, shot his head up. He squinted behind his glasses, adjusting them; and then his eyes widened.

"The Avatar!"

He ran forward and grabbed Aang's hand. The man was falling all over himself in his attempt to fawn over the boy. "It's such an honor to meet you!"

"What about us," Sokka pouted.

"Why, I'm delighted to meet the Avatar's friends as well of course." He straightened himself up. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Professor Drei, Professor of History at Ba Sing Se University."

"Pleased to meet you," Aang responded. "But … may I ask why you're here?"

The professor beamed. "I'm researching the history of the Air Nomads. You see, I plan to write a book about them. I call it: Flying Free: A History of a Lost People."

Aang was thrilled to hear it. If the professor got this book published, then the memories of his people would remain in the public consciousness for a long time.

Professor Drei was still babbling on about it. "Originally it was a joint project between me and my brother, Professor Zei, but then -."

"Wait a minute," Sokka cut him off. "Did you say your brother's name was 'Professor Zei'?"

"Why yes."

Sokka, Katara and Aang shot each other wide eyed looks.

The truth is, they had met Professor Zei previously, when they had gone looking for Wan Shi Tong's library in the Si Wong desert. When the owl spirit sunk his library, Professor Zei had opted to stay behind…

~0~

_"I'm not leaving … I can't … I've spent too long trying to find this place … There's not another collection of knowledge like this on Earth … I could spend an eternity in here."_

~0~

"But unfortunately, I've lost contact with my brother," the Professor continued. Aang, Katara and Sokka nodded their heads, not speaking a word. "So alas, I've taken up the project myself."

Deciding against speaking about his brother's fate, the trio joined the professor at the table he was studying at. Several volumes of books and scrolls were splayed out across the tabletop.

"So what have you learned during your research," Aang asked.

"Plenty! For one, I learned much about the Air Nomad's culture. They lived in the temples primarily, but by nature they were farmers. They survived mainly due to their agricultural skills."

"That's right," Aang remembered, thinking of how he used to help Monk Gyatso tend to the gardens.

"Then there's their form of government. Unlike the other nations, the Air Nomads didn't believe in politics with a single ruler over everything. Instead they were a theocracy based on spiritual enlightenment. But listen to me going on – I'm in the presence of the Avatar! If anything, I could learn about the Air Nomads from you! Just give me a sec…" He fumbled around the pockets of his coat, pulling out a pen and a pad.

"Actually," Aang responded. "There's something I'd like to ask _you_."

The Professor blinked. _"Me?"_

"We're looking for a fifth air temple. I was wondering if you had learned anything about it."

Professor Drei leaned back in his chair. "Well then, this seems to be quite a coincidence – though to learned people like you and me, true coincidences are quite rare."

The Avatar could barely contain his excitement. "You mean you found something?!"

The Professor nodded, producing two pieces of parchment. In fact, it seemed as though each piece was torn. The professor placed them side by side on the table.

"It's a map," Sokka exclaimed.

"Yes," the Professor admitted. "Though an incomplete one…"

Sokka was pouring over it. "This looks like the South Pole – and here's the eastern side of the Earth Kingdom."

"I found this piece when I journeyed to the Southern Air Temple last month," the Professor exclaimed. "And then I found this half here at the Eastern Air Temple … though I must admit, it's still quite incomplete." He settled in, looking at the group's expressions, ready to tell them of his findings.

"As I studied the history of the Air Nomads, I stumbled unto a so-called fifth air temple in one of their writings, though the records were incomplete and it was an offhand comment. However, I found this map piece at the Southern Air Temple, and so I came here and found this other piece.

"I believe that during the Fire Nation's purges of your people, the Air Nomads went to the fifth temple in order to hide out. A map had been made to show the Air Nomads the way, but then it was split into quarters. That way, if the Fire Nation ever found one quarter of the map, they would still have incomplete information – they wouldn't be able to find the temple unless they found the other pieces and put the map together. That way, any Air Nomads who escaped to the fifth temple would remain hidden. They would remain safe."

This new piece of information greatly relieved Aang. If he could get the entire map put together, he could locate this new sanctuary. And if there were any Air Nomads…

"Professor … I need those two map pieces!"

The Professor's eyes widened. "Give up my map pieces?!"

"Please Professor," Katara pleaded. "There's a chance that some Air Nomads may have survived; if that's the case, we can rebuild the Air Nomads!"

The Professor seemed to consider it. "Well, if it'll benefit the Avatar, I guess I have no choice … but on one condition!"

"What's that?"

"If you find this temple, you allow me full access to any of its libraries or archives!"

Aang's eyes twinkled. "It's a deal!"

* * *

The figure stood atop the rooftops in the Upper Rings of Ba Sing Se, waiting like a night hawk, observing the goings on below.

The "figure" of course, was Toph. She was wearing her Earth Rumble Six trophy belt, a bandana around the lower portion of her face, and a makeshift cape made from one of the Jasmine Dragon's tablecloths. The girl considered herself a superhero now, going by her wrestling name, "The Blind Bandit."

So now the Blind Bandit waited on the rooftop. She knew she had felt a Dai Li agent rush past her that afternoon, and if the Dai Li had returned to Ba Sing Se, she knew they were up to no good.

She would wait here all night if she had to. But she was going to find out what they were up to.

All of a sudden, her feet felt something darting across the rooftops a few blocks over.

_"Bingo!"_

The girl leaped after the fleeing Dai Li agent, trailing him at a distance so that he wouldn't get suspicious. He led her clean outside the city and to the outskirts of Lake Laogai.

Toph remembered the last time she was here with Aang, Katara and Sokka; they had foiled the Dai Li back then. And so here she was again – _alone_. She really missed the gang; but she couldn't focus on their absence. She had to find out what the Dai Li were doing.

The Dai Li looked behind him to make sure he wasn't being followed. Toph crouched low into the shadows.

Satisfied that no one was there, the Dai Li agent motioned with his hand. A crack appeared in the ground and he jumped inside. The crack then sealed itself shut behind him.

Waiting a moment or two before acting, Toph came out of the shadows. Using Earthbending, she opened the crack back up and leaped in after him.

She followed the Dai Li through cavernous tunnels deep underneath Lake Laogai. The Dai Li suddenly turned a corner and entered a room which, Toph could tell, was filled with other Dai Li. She hid herself outside the room; she could overhear every word being spoken.

"How dare you all turn on me like that?!"

Toph heard a sudden crack and a yelp. She recognized that voice. _Long Feng!_

"So little Miss Princess comes swooping in, says a few fancy words, and _presto! _You turn against me like the venomous trolls you are!"

Another crack and a yelp.

"And now, you come crawling back to me, free me from prison and just _expect_ me to forgive you?! I don't forgive and I don't forget!" There was then a series of cracks and yelps. "Fine, I'll come back as your leader – but I'm working you all like dogs! And the second you show _any _sign of turning on me, I'll make sure that the Dai Li are reduced to cleaning out feces from the local zoo!"

He seethed, and Toph could just hear the spit spray from his mouth.

Meanwhile, one of the Dai Li was trying to get Long Feng's attention. "Sir -."

"I'm not finished!"

"But sir – there's someone standing outside the door."

Toph froze. She was caught!

And she was suddenly swarmed by dozens of Dai Li agents.

* * *

Aang meditated alone outside. Night had fallen, and the moon cast a brilliant glow on his surroundings. He was getting closer to finding the temple. He already had two pieces of the map, and the way he figured, if he went to the other two temples, he might find the other two.

_So I guess that means my next destination is the Northern Air Temple._

As he continued meditating, his surroundings began swirling around him until they became one giant blur. When he opened his eyes, he was in the Spirit World.

A figure appeared before him.

"Avatar Roku!"

Roku's face beamed in admiration. _"Aang … my brave, honorable Aang. Words can't even express how proud I am of you. Even against the advice of myself and our other past lives, you still found a way to defeat the Fire Lord without killing him. Even in death, I still have much to learn."_

Aang was excited to see his mentor again. He rushed out and hugged the older man's ethereal form. "Roku … It's great seeing you again!"

_"It's good to see you too, my friend."_

"I have some great news Roku! I think that some Air Nomads may have survived the purges, and now I'm trying to find them!"

Roku's face suddenly took on a somber look. _"That's … what I wanted to talk to you about."_

Aang's smile began to falter. "What do you mean?"

_"Sometimes, when you search for something … you may not like what you find."_

"I don't understand…"

_"What I'm saying is, finding this temple may not yield the results you expect."_

"I know, Roku. For all I know, there may be _no_ Air Nomads there. But I can't take that chance. I have to see if there are any survivors. I have to!"

_"I know you do, Aang. And I know that nothing I can say will change your mind. I don't intend to try either. If you feel that you can find some Air Nomads, I support you one hundred percent._

_ "But I must also give you a warning. There is something amiss in the world. The other spirits and I have sensed it. The war has caused great stress and damage – not just in the physical realm, but in the Spirit World as well. The war has created holes between your world and the Spirit World. I sense that something awful is going to happen soon. And if the holes are not fixed, the breaches remain unsealed, I fear what may happen."_

Aang nodded. "I'll be careful Roku. And perhaps if I find any Air Nomads, they can help."

_"I hope so, Aang. Just be on alert. The war may be over … but it is when the world seems to be at peace that it is in the greatest danger. It is your job as Avatar to ensure that the balance is kept between worlds. I just hope that your quest to find the Air Nomads won't conflict with your duty as Avatar."_

"I'll be careful, Roku. We'll all keep an eye open. I just got through saving the world – I won't see it torn apart again."

"_I'm glad to hear it, Aang. I'll keep you updated as events continue to unfold. I wish you luck, and I do hope that you find some Air Nomads out there…"_

And with that, Aang's previous incarnation vanished, and the Airbender found himself back at the Eastern Air Temple. He reflected on Roku's words about his duty as Avatar.

But the question was: did his duties as Avatar come before his duties as an Air Nomad?

Or was he an Air Nomad first and Avatar second?

He didn't know the answer.

* * *

Toph struggled as she was bound to a metal chair. She secretly smiled; the Dai Li were ignorant of her abilities to bend metal. So she would play along with them, until they revealed their plans to her.

Then she would strike.

Toph put on an innocent, sweet little girl face. After living with overbearing parents like the Bei Fongs, Toph had learned how to cry on command. So a waterfall of tears fell from her face.

_"Please let me go," _she pretended to whimper.

She heard Long Feng's voice ring out from the darkness. "I know who you are, Bandit. The Avatar's little sidekick. Too bad that he's out of town. He won't be coming for you anytime soon."

"What are you going to do with me?"

The reinstated head of the Dai Li chuckled. "No need to worry. I'm not going to hurt you."

"What are you going to do then?" She had to keep him talking. Thankfully, Long Feng was a crazed egomaniac; he would tell her everything.

"My plan is genius," he bragged. "I intend to simply brainwash you. Who better to have at my side than the Avatar's little friend?"

"B-brainwash?"

"There's no need to be frightened. I can guarantee you that it won't hurt a bit." He signaled to the Dai Li agents next to him. "In the meantime, I have some other work I have to attend to." His footsteps disappeared out of the room and down the hall.

Toph was annoyed. She didn't get any information from the man about his true plans. He sure did know the importance of keeping information to himself.

Meanwhile, the Dai Li agent began the hypnosis procedure. A bright light began encircling Toph repeatedly.

"Long Feng is not the enemy," he said in a calm, soothing voice. "Long Feng is your friend."

Toph sat there blankly, trying hard not to break out laughing.

"Long Feng is kind. You love Long Feng. You want to serve Long Feng faithfully."

"Yea, I don't think so," Toph replied.

With a sudden flick of her fingers, she undid her metal shackles and the chair crumpled into a metal ball. She stood up, rubbing her wrists.

The Dai Li's brow furrowed as a bead of sweat rolled down his face. "H-how? You should be hypnotized!"

Toph waved a hand in front of her milky eyes. "_Hellooo?! _I can't see! Too bad that hypnosis doesn't work on the blind! Oh, yeah. And did I forget to mention that I happen to be the only person in the world who can bend metal?"

The Dai Li cracked his knuckles. "That just means that I get my workout after all."

He leaped into the air as he fired dozens of rocky gauntlets at the girl.

Toph stepped back and kicked her heel into the ground, raising a barrier that deflected the attacks.

The Dai Li landed and slammed his fist into the ground, creating a fissure that crept along the ground and up Toph's shield, shattering it.

But Toph was gone.

The Dai Li jumped into the air as Toph appeared from below ground, aiming a boulder for him. He twisted in midair, evading the attack. Bouncing off the side of the wall, he shot more earthen gauntlets at her.

Toph disappeared into the stone wall. When she reappeared, she was covered in a suit of armor made of earth. Riding a wave of stone, she charged her foe, who retreated into the air.

Creating a pillar from the ground, she was flung up after him. She stripped the stone armor off, pelting the Dai Li with them. He hit the ground and Toph landed next to him.

Before he could react, she bound his hands and ankles with metal she stripped from the chair. She then grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up.

"Alright, now I want to know! What are the Dai Li and Long Feng planning?!"

The Dai Li remained silent.

Toph was beginning to lose her patience and she shook him back and forth. His head lolled from side to side, as if he had no control over it. It was then that Toph realized … the man was no longer responding to her. His eyes just seemed to glaze over and stare off into space.

But he wasn't dead. She could feel his heartbeat.

_How odd!_

Here's what happened. During their training, Dai Li agents had special constraints programmed into their minds so that if they were ever caught by enemies, they would lose their minds in order to not reveal any sensitive information.

The Dai Li was empty husk now.

Toph would get no information from him.

But she did know that Long Feng was now roaming free.

And he had something big planned alright.

* * *

Things are beginning to fall into place. The villains are getting everything set up to carry out their plans. Next chapter we'll see the return of everyone's favorite crazed Firebending princess…

Oh, and there's a reason why I brought Combustion Man back last chapter. Don't worry, in time everything will be revealed…


	6. Chapter 6: Rebellion

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

* * *

Book 4:

Air

Chapter six:

Rebellion

* * *

Zuko sighed as his bodyguards marched him down the hallway. He wasn't exactly sure why he needed protection just to go to the bathroom, but the royal guards insisted that assassins could strike anywhere. He figured they were right; after all, there had already been two deaths in the capitol within the course of a few days – not to mention an attempt on his own life.

Security had increased dramatically in the capitol. In fact, everywhere you looked, you would find dozens of royal guards posted. Even civilians were under their ever-watchful eye.

Zuko didn't recognize the majority of his new guards. New recruits he figured. However, he felt that he was more than capable of handling himself. He didn't need fifteen guards watching his every move.

Just before he reached his bathroom door, he was nearly bowled over by an officer. The man dusted himself off, apologizing profusely.

"Please, forgive my clumsiness, Your Highness."

"That's fine. But you seem to be in a hurry, captain."

"I was! Er, well, I am. This was delivered to the palace not just fifteen minutes ago. It's addressed – to you."

Raising his eyebrow curiously, Zuko tore open the envelope and withdrew the parchment. There, clumsily scribbled, was a letter for him.

_Dear Fire Lord,_

_There will be another attempt on your life this evening._

_If you wish to live through the night, meet me at the palace_

_gardens at sundown. Come alone._

"What does it say," the captain asked. Zuko handed him the letter and the captain quickly scanned it. "Why they can't be serious. They _really_ expect us to let you go to the gardens alone?"

"It does seem suspicious," Zuko admitted.

"They must think we're really stupid." The captain moved to tear the letter up.

"Wait!" Zuko managed to save the parchment before the captain ripped it to bits. "This could be the break we've been looking for!"

"What do you mean?"

"They want me there alone, right? It's obviously a trap – but if we have some guards hiding in the bushes and on the rooftops, we may just catch the culprit."

The captain's face melted into a grin. "That's ingenious, sir! I'll marshal a squad of Imperial Firebenders to hide out in the gardens. When the assassins try to make their move – _BAM! _We'll have them!"

"Alright," the Fire Lord answered. "It's a plan." His face suddenly became very stern and he rounded on his royal guards. "Now can everyone just let me go to the bathroom in peace?!"

* * *

The teenaged Fire Lord's heart was racing as he stood waiting in the gardens. It was already sundown, and a crescent moon was waxing in the sky. He shook his head in frustration. Shouldn't some assassins be making their move right about now?

He felt a little more at ease knowing that several royal guards were hiding in the bushes. Others were crouched on the rooftops overlooking the garden, bows slung over the backs. Zuko had given them warning not to make any moves unless the attacker became violent.

He looked around and saw a small little pond. He had so many childhood memories here, of playing with the turtle-ducks with his mother.

_Mother._

Zuko wondered where she could possible be right now. Was she alive? Was she safe? Was she thinking of him?

There was a sudden rustling from the other side of the courtyard, and Zuko felt his muscles tense. "Who's there?" His throat felt dry and he tried to swallow.

A lone figure appeared in the shadows.

_An assassin!_

Zuko's fists gleamed with fire.

"Don't shoot!"

The voice came from the figure itself. The man came out of the shadows, hands raised to show he wouldn't try anything. The moonlight revealed his face.

He appeared to be a vagabond of sorts – perhaps a hobo? His clothes were torn in several places and he had a long white beard that flowed down to a broken belt buckle. Zuko could smell him from the other side of the courtyard.

The vagabond seemed pleased to see him. "I was concerned that you wouldn't receive my letter. You never can tell with those blasted messenger hawks…"

"You wanted to talk with me," Zuko firmly answered. "I'm here. Tell me what you have to say."

"Right to the point. I like that. First off, allow me to introduce myself. My name is General Ying."

"General?" The man certainly didn't _seem_ to be military material. Perhaps he was just a crazy old man after all; however, his uncle always told him that looks can be deceiving.

"Well, former General Ying." The man shuffled his feet in embarrassment. "I was uh … dishonorably discharged from the military a few months ago. All because of some bloody Admiral … oh what was his name? Shu? Xiao?"

"Zhao," Zuko breathed.

"Yea, that's it." Ying continued. "Well, a few months back, old Admiral Zhao gets it in his head that he wants to attack the North Pole. I was one of his generals at the time. And his plans were so ridiculous – I mean, killing some stupid fish? Well anyway, he captured a couple of boys from the Water Tribe and he tries to interrogate them. Well, things don't go as planned, and the Admiral had a spiteful tempter…"

"Tell me about it," the Fire Lord replied.

"Anyway, he gets fed up with them and orders me to execute the boys. Now, I have no problem killing on the battlefield – but these were young men. I wasn't trained to kill civilians. So I refused. Well, Zhao really loses his temper. He discharges me, strips me of my medals, and tries to have _me_ executed." The old man raised his finger as a smug grin crept across his face. "But he wasn't counting on ol' Ying to know a few tricks, was he now…?"

"So you escaped from Zhao?"

"Yup. I tried returning to my home in the Fire Nation, but it had been burned down. My family was imprisoned and executed on orders of the previous Fire Lord for my actions. So, I've been on the run ever since – until the Avatar came around and crushed him."

"But you returned now. And you said something about another assassination attempt."

Ying's face became somber. "You must understand … A.T.R.O. is out to get you. And if they succeed … if Ozai is made ruler of the Fire Nation again … well, ol' Ying's gonna have to go back into hiding."

Zuko was becoming frantic. "If you know something, please, tell me immediately!"

"Alright, alright, hold your ostrich-horses." Ying sat down on a rock near the pond. "Understand that everything that happened during the past few days … is all part of a vast conspiracy."

"I don't understand."

"The assassination attempts on your life were _never meant_ to succeed. It was all part of a major plan – to get you to increase your personal security."

"But that doesn't make sense! Why would A.T.R.O. want me to have _more_ bodyguards?!"

Ying chuckled. "Do they truly guard you? No way are they your protectors. Why do you think everywhere you go, you're surrounded? Why are there so many new recruits protecting you?"

Zuko's head was spinning.

Ying was still talking. "Every single bodyguard you have … they're all A.T.R.O. agents. They've infiltrated your palace, gotten under your surveillance. You're surrounded in a pit of vipers. And tonight, those whom you thought were protecting you will murder you."

This was a lot for a teenager to take in. The Fire Lord flopped down on the grass, his head in his hands. "How do I know I can trust you? How do I know _you're_ not a member of A.T.R.O.?"

Ying got up suddenly, and for an instant, Zuko thought the man was going to strike him. But no. Ying wasn't even looking at the boy.

He was looking at the bushes, at the rooftops. And he slowly began backing up.

"I thought I told you to come alone …"

Dozens of royal guards emerged from the bushes. Others stood up, arrows aimed. Zuko though they were moving to attack Ying.

A second glance told him otherwise.

All of their arrows were aimed at _him_!

All of his bodyguards, whom he thought were there to make sure no assassin got to him, were the _true_ assassins.

The protectors had become the murderers.

Zuko backed up as they slowly advanced on him.

* * *

A sudden flash of light, and two bodyguards fell where they stood.

Zuko looked up to see Ying, hand outstretched, smoke emanating from his open palm. The former general leaped into the air punching fire at the other bodyguards. They ducked for cover and fired their arrows.

With a savage roar, Ying waved his arm and a wave of fire spewed out, turning the arrows to ash.

Another bodyguard jumped Zuko, pinning him to the ground, knife at his throat. The Fire Lord struggled with the man, and with a mighty force, threw his assailant into a wall.

Ying, meanwhile, was incredible. He displayed the advanced Firebending art of a true elite warrior. None of the attackers stood a chance, and within moments, they were retreating.

Ying helped a bruised Zuko up. "Now do you believe me," he asked.

Without a word, the Fire Lord nodded.

"We have to leave the capitol," Ying announced. "It's no longer safe for you here."

"Leave the capitol?" Zuko was aghast. "No way am I going to be pushed out of my own city!"

Ying shrugged. "Well, if you want to face down the entire Fire Nation military by yourself, no sweat off me."

This stunned Zuko. "The – the _entire_ military is in on this?"

"Well what did you expect? The entire population is against you, why wouldn't the military be? They're displeased that you ended the war … and tonight, after A.T.R.O. murders you, Ozai will be freed from prison. By tomorrow morning, he'll be fully reinstated as Phoenix King. He'll have the loyalty of every single troop in the entire nation. So, good luck with that."

"Well I can't leave then! I have to stop my father!"

"You'll die trying."

"I don't care! I'm not going down without a fight!"

"Really, Fire Lord – is that the type of attitude your uncle would want you to take?"

Zuko stopped short. "You know my uncle?"

He nodded. "General Iroh and I go way back. He wouldn't want you to die like this, Zuko. He would want you to regroup, find some allies … live on to fight another day. Sometimes it takes greater bravery to retreat from battle … it's not cowardice."

The general was right. Zuko sighed. He didn't want to leave, but the entire nation was against him. He would need help to stop his father – uncle would help him. And so would Aang.

"Alright," he finally agreed. "We have to get out of the Fire Nation."

Ying nodded; he firmly grabbed the boy's arm and began dragging him along at full speed. "We have to hurry!"

"Wait!" Zuko suddenly realized something. "Mai! I'm not leaving the Fire Nation without her!"

Ying slapped himself on the forehead. "We're wasting precious time!"

"It won't take long, I promise."

"Alright, get your blasted girlfriend. I just hope those few minutes won't mean the difference between survival and death!"

* * *

"What do you mean, we have to leave?" Mai stood in the doorway of her house, arms folded.

Zuko was frantic. "I don't have time to explain, but if we don't leave, I'm toast. And since you're my girlfriend, you'll be next!"

Mai thought about it for a moment. "Alright, but before I come with you, would you mind telling me … who's _that_?" She pointed at the smelly old man behind him.

"That's a friend. Hurry! I'll explain everything when we get out of the capitol!"

"Can I just say goodbye to my family!"

Ying just about exploded. "No! There's no time! We have to go!" And he grabbed Mai's arm and forcibly pulled her out the door.

She slashed at him with her stiletto. "Grab me like that again, and you'll be missing two special friends!"

Ying immediately let go of her, and she strut past him coolly, as though their lives were in no danger at all.

The general looked incredulously at the Fire Lord. "Boy, you sure can pick 'em."

The sudden sound of marching reached their ears, and the trio hid behind an alley. They watched as royal guards began scouring the city.

"They're looking for you," Ying whispered. After the marching died down, Ying quickly turned to the Fire Lord. "We can't escape through the city, they've already got it surrounded! _Blast!_" He punched the wall in frustration.

"Is there another way out of the city," Mai asked.

Zuko thought for a second. "There's an entire network of tunnels underneath the capitol," he remembered. "My father hid down there during the Day of Black Sun. They lead right to some of the storage hangars – where, if I remember correctly, several war balloons are docked."

"Do you know how to get to these tunnels?"

"I might have an idea."

* * *

"This _was_ a good idea," exclaimed Ying. The trio wandered around the tunnels undisturbed. "No guards in sight! If we get to those war balloons, we may just get out of this yet!"

And they came to a fork in the tunnel. One path led left, while the other led right. "Do you remember which one led where?"

Zuko stroked his chin. "I think … wait, no that's not right."

Ying exploded again. "I thought you knew where you were going!"

"I am, I am, just calm down and give me a sec to figure it out! Now let's see…"

Mai frantically poked him in the shoulder. "You might want to hurry it up!"

Zuko stopped as he heard shallow breathing. And a ragged voice.

_"Zu … Zu …"_

The trio turned around to see a girl roughly Mai's age. But she didn't look like a girl – in fact, she looked much more like a wild beast. Her hair was askew, her fingernails had grown exceptionally long and her clothes were torn in several spots. Her mouth was wide in a twisted grin.

Zuko gulped. The last person he wanted to see while attempting an escape.

"Azula."

"Zuzu…" she repeated. And then she cackled. Her mind was still gone. After losing it during her last duel with him, Zuko had tried to give her the best psychiatric care he could, in the hopes of healing his sister.

It didn't seem to have worked. Azula seemed just as psychotic as ever.

"Quick!" Zuko grabbed Mai and Ying and pushed them towards the left route. "This tunnel will take you to the hangar! Go! I'll catch up shortly!"

"I'm not leaving you to face Azula alone," Mai protested.

"We have no time! I'll be there in a few minutes, I promise! Now go! You have to get the war balloon – if you don't, none of us are getting out of this alive!"

Resentfully, Mai followed Ying down the left tunnel. She spared a last forlorn look at her boyfriend, and then turned around and ran towards the hangar.

* * *

_**ZRAAACK!**_

__In an instant, Azula had fired a bolt of lightning at her brother. "Hahaha," she cackled.

Zuko ducked as the bolt blew a chunk of the wall away.

A jet of blue flame followed it.

The young man leaped out of the way, backing up towards the right corridor. "Don't … run from … me!" Her speech was strained and slurred. She moved drunkenly, cackling insanely.

Another jet of blue fire.

Zuko countered it with a blast of his own.

The two attacks cancelled each other out.

Azula continued laughing.

Now she jumped into the air, kicking balls of fire at her brother. Zuko batted them away with his fists. Azula was still muttering incoherently. "I … am … Fire Lord … No, Father, I don't think now would be a good time for a tea party …"

_She's really lost it,_ Zuko thought, deflecting another ball of fire.

Azula staggered to the side drunkenly – she was practically foaming at the mouth. Her fist blazed with fire, and she reared it back, preparing to strike the Fire Lord across the face.

Zuko ducked beneath her arm, but he had forgotten about her other hand – which was aimed for his stomach. A pulse of fire sent him flying down the right-hand tunnel. He landed on some hard rocks and a tiny moan escaped his lips.

Still cackling, Azula flung herself towards her brother once again.

* * *

Luckily for Mai and Ying, there was nobody guarding the underground hangar. "All of the guards are busy searching for your boyfriend," Ying explained.

The entire capitol had been built above a dormant volcano – the hangar itself was located on the mountain's edge. A moderate sized door was located on the very edge of the mountain itself, allowing all aircraft to glide out.

Ying and Mai rushed towards the nearest war balloon they could. They ran up the deck.

"Do you know how to work this thing," Mai asked.

"It's relatively simple to start. All you have to do is use heat to get it to rise." With that, he sent a puff of fire into a heater filled with coal. The heat from the burning coal ascended into the balloon itself, and slowly the vehicle began to rise. Mai cast off the moorings.

"Hey, you there!" Dozens of guards were swarming the hangar.

Mai looked at Ying. "Apparently, this hangar wasn't as empty as you thought!"

The balloon was barely a few feet off the ground. "Stop that balloon," one of the guards screeched.

The troopers raised their fists, preparing to unleash their fire.

Ying knocked them back with an arc of flame. Mai pinned another to a wall with several stilettos. "Nice aim," Ying complimented her.

"Don't praise me just yet – we're still not out of this!"

More guards poured into the hangar.

"Can't this thing go any faster," Mai protested.

"It needs more heat!" Ying pointed his hand towards the coal furnace and fired some more flame. The balloon only rose a few more feet.

It lazily floated towards the hangar doors – which was still kilometers away. "Blasted machine," Ying screamed. "You – focus on the guards while I increase the heat!" While he devoted both hands to the furnace, Mai was firing her weapons all across the room, tagging a guard here and there.

It wasn't enough. There were too many of them.

"I'm out of weapons!"

"Come on, come on, come on," the old man pleaded. Finally, the balloon began increasing speed. "Yes!"

But now there was a new problem. The balloon began turning – away from the hangar doors.

"Can't you pilot this thing," an agitated Mai screamed.

"I don't think so!"

"But you were in the military!"

"Just because I was a soldier doesn't mean I know how to pilot these blasted things!"

With a cry of frustration, Mai pushed past Ying. "Out of the way, Gramps!" She grabbed the large steering wheel and began spinning it as fast as her small hands would allow her. It was no use … the balloon was on a crash course with the wall.

"Help me turn this thing around," she shrieked. Ying joined her, and together they spun the wheel as fast as they could.

Below, the balloon was under constant assault from dozens of Firebenders.

The balloon drew ever closer to the hangar wall…

And at the last instant, it began turning. Working together, Ying and Mai managed to completely reverse its direction.

With jets of flame shooting all around them, the war balloon ejected itself freely through the hangar doors and into the cool night sky.

* * *

A cold yet furious wind whipped behind Zuko.

Here's what happened.

The duel between him and Azula had taken them down the right tunnel and to the very edge of the volcano's wall. Azula had shot a wave of fire at him. It missed – yet it struck the wall behind him, creating a giant, smoking hole in the side of the volcano. So now here he was, trapped at the end of the tunnel with a hole behind him and a wailing chasm beneath him. If he fell through that hole, he would fall out the side of the volcano and towards certain doom.

Azula's laughter had not abated, and she staggered forward, towards her prey. Zuko tried to take another step and nearly fell.

He was trapped.

"Zuzu … dies now …"

He tried reasoning with her. "Azula, stop this! We don't have to fight! Don't you see? Father's using you again!"

His words didn't seem to register in her mind. Instead she spun her hand around in erratic movements, attempting to build up enough of a negative charge. And then she thrust her fingers towards him.

A flash of light spread across the darkened tunnels as a bolt of lightning arced from her fingertips towards him. He had a sudden flashback to the day of Sozin's Comet, when he had confronted Azula for the title of Fire Lord. Unable to best him in combat, her malicious mind moved her to an unspeakable act of cruelty.

She had attempted to murder Katara with lightning, and she would have succeeded had Zuko not dived in the way of the attack and taken it for her. Why he would risk his life to save a peasant like that was quite beyond her mind, but she was still pleased to harm Zuko.

Nothing had changed during her weeks in prison. Sure, she might have lost her mind, but deep down she was still a twisted, brutal sadist.

And so the lightning arced towards its intended target.

Zuko was ready this time. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion for him. He took a deep breath to relax himself and allowed the lightning to travel up his arms and down into his stomach. He then separated the positive and negative chi and then redirected the lightning through the gaping hole and out into the night sky.

He turned and grinned at his sister.

Azula didn't return his grin. Instead, with an animalistic snarl, she leaped on him in a mad rage. It was like she had become a wile animal as she tore at him with her sharpened fingernails.

The two struggled and finally, Zuko lost his balance and fell out of the hole and over the edge into the abyss. Azula managed to right herself and prevent herself from falling after him.

She stared down.

And saw Zuko there, holding onto the edge for dear life. His knuckles were turning color as his fingers burst out in white hot pain from his sheer weight. He wouldn't be able to hold on much longer.

And there was Azula, standing over him like a feral beast. She pointed her fingers at him, preparing to fry him with another bolt of lightning.

* * *

But Azula didn't see the figure approaching her from behind.

Zuko, however, did. And he couldn't believe his eyes.

There was a person behind Azula, dressed in his Blue Spirit costume. But how? He had dumped it in waters of Lake Laogai after freeing the Avatar's bison.

Azula noticed at the last second, when the Blue Spirit withdrew two broadswords. She barely had time to react as the Blue Spirit twirled his weapons around. This masked warrior appeared to be dancing, rather than fighting.

It dodged a blast of blue flame, before coming up alongside the insane princess and bashing her on the head with the handle of his broadsword. Azula staggered for a second, before she fell unconscious.

Zuko, meanwhile, felt his fingers begin to give. His hands spasmed and he felt himself begin to plummet to his doom.

In an instant, the Blue Spirit quickly caught his hand and pulled him back up into the tunnel. Zuko lay on his back, closed his eyes and exhaled with relief. He suddenly shot upward, prepared to both thank this new Blue Spirit and then ask what he was doing with his costume.

But when he opened his eyes, the Blue Spirit was gone without a trace.

"Zuko!"

The Fire Lord whirled around to see a war balloon floating in the sky outside the volcano. Onboard were Mai and Ying. The old general was waving towards him. "Hop aboard!"

With a leap, Zuko landed hard on the small platform. He looked over to see Mai at the wheel. "Since when do you know how to pilot a war balloon?"

"She's a natural," Ying answered.

As Mai piloted the war balloon away from the capitol, Zuko lay down on the floor, staring at the night sky. So many things pressed on his mind.

The capitol was now under A.T.R.O.'s control, that much was clear. His father would be made ruler of the Fire Nation again and the people would praise him. He was worried about what his father would do once he was in power again. Something told him that the war was not over. It had never been over – halted perhaps, but not finished.

The other thing was his mysterious savior. Who was he, and how did he come to possess his Blue Spirit costume? He shook his head.

There was another Blue Spirit out there … somewhere.

* * *

A procession of sages made their way up an elaborate set of steps. A ceremony was being held in the entrance of the Fire Nation's royal palace that night, and every citizen of the capital was forced to attend.

The sages bowed low as a figure stood atop a podium for all to see. The sages began chanting as the head sage placed a glittering gold head piece on the man's head. Everyone bowed low before their newly crowned king.

"ALL HAIL PHOENIX KING OZAI!"

The crowd repeated the chant.

Ozai smiled cruelly, taking it all in.

He was once again ruler of the Fire Nation.

* * *

That morning, Phoenix King Ozai sat on his throne and his daughter appeared before him.

Azula seemed to have started to regain her mind over the past few hours. Her fingernails had been clipped, her body bathed, her hair back up in her signature bun, etc. She bowed low to before her father and king.

"With your permission, I'd like to lead an expedition to hunt Zuzu, Father."

Ozai regarded her calmly. "I'm afraid not," he answered.

Her head shot up. "But … why not?! You can't start treating me like Zuko, Father! This is just like when you faced the Avatar and forced me to stay behind …" She grit her teeth.

"Enough, Azula," Ozai replied, standing up. "I'm not treating you like that blood traitor that dares call himself my son. I'm not sending you after him because I have something else I need you to do."

Her eyes seemed to relax, and she nodded, humbly accepting his decision. "What are your orders, Father?"

"I have a special task for you, Azula …"

* * *

The plot thickens…


	7. Chapter 7: The Grey Witch

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

* * *

Book 4:

Air

Chapter seven:

The Grey Witch

* * *

"For the record – THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Katara had been howling at her brother for the past ten minutes. Sokka was well beyond his breaking point.

"How many times can I say I'm sorry?!"

"Thanks to you, we're all out of supplies and we still have miles of water to cross!"

Below them was the eastern ocean, as they continued their trek up north.

"IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!"

"Sokka does have a point," Aang commented from the front of the sky bison. "I mean, how was he supposed to know that our food supply was in that bag?"

_"See!_ Aang agrees with me! I saw something wriggling inside the bag and as a precaution I threw it overboard."

Katara took a deep breath and said her next statement very slowly. "There. Was. Nothing. Wriggling. In. The. Bag."

"There was _so_! Momo saw it too!"

"You're such an idiot!" She mocked Sokka's voice. _"Oh no, the big bad critter in the bag's going to get me!"_

"It could have been dangerous! For all you know, I could have just saved all our lives!"

"Must I repeat myself? There was nothing in the bag!"

Aang decided to interject. "It doesn't matter whether there was something or not. The fact is, we're all out of food and we're going to have to stop somewhere for supplies."

Sokka slouched over the side of the saddle, scanning the horizon. Although he would never admit it, he did feel really dumb for throwing their food overboard – but hey, it was a moment of panic!

Katara, arms folded and lips pursed, had her back to him, as she looked for any sign of land.

After a few minutes, Sokka's voice suddenly cracked. "Hey look!"

"What's the matter," was Katara's sarcastic response. "Is there something moving in our money pouch now? Are you going to throw that overboard next?"

"Shut up! And no – look!" And he pointed in the distance.

Squinting their eyes, Aang and Katara followed his finger to see a small landmass in the distance. "An island!"

"I don't remember any islands being this far from the Earth Kingdom's east coast," Aang commented. "Though, I must admit, it _has_ been over a hundred years since I've been out this far."

Rearing Appa's reigns, they turned the bison to the side and streaked for the island.

* * *

A small war balloon glided silently in the morning sky. Zuko had barely gotten any sleep thinking about the events of the previous night. He still couldn't get his mind off of that mysterious Blue Spirit that had saved his life.

Even worse was his father's ascent back into power. If they didn't reach his uncle in Ba Sing Se, reassemble the Order of the White Lotus and find Aang, he feared what Ozai might do.

What he feared more was what _Azula_ might do.

Mai leaned over the railing, bored and spinning a stiletto mindlessly in her hand.

Ying had finished adjusting the roaring flame that kept the balloon aloft and he came around the corner, wiping coal residue from his hands. "At the rate we're going, we should be leaving Fire Nation shores by later this afternoon. By tomorrow morning, we should be reaching the western tip of the Earth Kingdom, though, to tell the truth, it may be a long journey before we reach Ba Sing Se."

Zuko nodded, his mouth tight. That wasn't good news. They had to reach Ba Sing Se soon.

Before Zuko could respond, there was the sound of a fierce explosion. The boy saw a flash of light streak through the sky and tear through the air-filled balloon. The next thing they knew, the war balloon was plummeting out of control in a spinning nose dive towards the land.

Zuko grabbed hold of Mai and with his free arm grabbed hold of some rope. He twisted the rope securely around his wrist to prevent himself from flying free of the plunging vessel. "Hold on," he screamed.

The balloon crashed in a crumpled heap and Zuko twisted his body so that Mai would land on top of him, like a cushion. But there was nothing to brace his impact. He hit his head hard and darkness crept in around his vision.

* * *

Aang, Katara and Sokka walked down a busy street. Appa trudged along behind them.

They had landed on the island fifteen minutes ago, and were pleased to find a town here. But even though the town was quite bustling, the townspeople seemed quite on edge.

"I wonder what everyone's so worried about," Katara voiced. "They seem really afraid."

Indeed, everyone was watching their backs, as though some unseen terror was going to grab them from behind. Shrugging, Aang approached a food stall and gave the vender some coins. The vender eyed them curiously.

"You know, you kids really shouldn't be wandering around Squid-eye island alone."

"Why's that," Katara asked curiously.

The man shifted his eyes from left to right to make sure that no one was listening and leaned forward. _"Because … there's a witch on the loose," _he whispered.

"A witch?"

"Not so loud!" He lowered his voice to a whisper. _"You kids need to get out of here as soon as possible. I'm packing up my family tonight and we're heading for the Earth Kingdom." _He gave them a sack of fruits, before heaving a CLOSED sign on his stall.

"Okay, nothing weird about that," Sokka whistled.

"He seemed really traumatized," Katara replied.

"This whole town seems traumatized!"

Aang scratched his chin. "Maybe if we asked around, someone can tell us more."

"I don't know," Sokka answered. "Not many people here seem willing to talk about it."

"There's a tavern just down the street," Katara pointed out. "Maybe someone in there can tell us more."

The trio entered towards the tavern, leaving Appa to wait lazily outside. They approached the bar where a cheerful young woman was taking people's orders. "Hiya," she beamed. "What'll you have?" Her smile was warm and continued to grow.

They gave her their orders (Sokka ordered as much meat as humanly possible), and she brightly gave them their food. "Might I say," Sokka told her with his mouth full, "you seem a lot more cheerful than everyone else here."

She laughed. "That's because they're all scared of the Grey Witch."

"Grey Witch? Who's that?"

"A year ago, the Grey Witch took up residence in the old mansion. It used to belong to the governor of Squid-eye Island, but he disappeared rather abruptly. Many believe she hexed him. Then came even worse rumors…

"People started to disappear. Then strange things began happening in the woods near the edge of town. People began seeing glowing specters – spirits, wandering through the woods. They aren't nice spirits either – they're evil. They say she summoned them to do her bidding on the island."

The bartender pointed to a man sitting in a corner. "See that man over there – that's Old Barney. He was in the woods last month and he claims to have been attacked by one of these spirits."

"Maybe we should ask him what he saw," Katara said.

The bartender shrugged. "You can try – but he's seemed to have lost all ability to speak. You see, when he was found, his tongue had been carved from his mouth."

"Okay, that's creepy," Sokka shivered. "But what about the witch? Hasn't anyone tried to stop her?"

"What can we do against someone who can turn you into boar-cuepine?"

"I don't know. Hasn't anyone tried dropping a house on her? Or throwing a bucket of water at her?"

Katara raised an eyebrow. "_What_ exactly would those things do?"

"I don't know! I'm just spit-balling here!"

"A lot of people are leaving the island," the bartender lamented. "It's really been hurting my business. I wouldn't be surprised if you guys took off after hearing that story."

"No way," was Aang's response. "If anything, it got me excited. I want to look into this whole thing!"

The girl was taken aback. _"Excited?"_

Sokka nodded. "Yea, you see … Aang's the Avatar."

At the word "Avatar" everyone in the tavern instantly stopped what they were doing and their attention was drawn to the bald monk at the bar. Then they began whispering.

_"The Avatar?"_

_ "He's here?"_

Aang stood on a barstool and called waved his hands for everyone to quiet down. "Listen up, everyone. I'm going to find out what's going on and save your island from this Grey Witch."

The tavern exploded in applause. People rushed up to the Avatar, frantic to touch his hand, to show their gratitude.

"If you're going to hunt down the witch, I might suggest starting at the governor's old mansion. She's frequently seen flying around there at night."

"Alright." Aang grabbed his staff. "It's time to bag us a witch."

* * *

_"Hey … wake up."_

Zuko's eyes slowly opened to see Mai standing over him, a look of concern on her face for once. "Are you alright," she asked.

"Never better." He slowly sat up.

"Don't get up too quickly. You really hit your head back there."

He nodded as he felt white hot pain shooting through his temple. He rubbed his forehead. "What happened exactly?"

"I don't know. Something just shot at us, and the next thing we knew, we were hitting the ground."

Zuko looked over at the crashed balloon, where Ying was salvaging any supplies he could get his hands on.

"Is there a town near here," Zuko asked.

Ying pointed towards the east. "An Earth Kingdom village about a mile from here. You guys go ahead and pick up some supplies. I'll stay here and try to fix this blasted balloon." He prodded the damaged coal storage tank, and jumped back with a yelp as a small spark slightly burned him. "Confounded machine…"

Nodding, Zuko and Mai headed through the woods.

Up above, a figure was watching them from the trees.

* * *

The old mansion stood lonely and abandoned atop a hill overlooking Squid-eye Island. The sun was setting, casting an eerie blood-red glow across the hillside. The building itself seemed broken down, with windows smashed and everything.

"Are we sure we want to go through with this," Sokka asked.

"Are you scared," Katara teased.

"No way! A man fears nothing! Besides, we're going about this all wrong! You just don't go up to a witch's house and gently knock on the door!"

Aang shrugged. "I figured asking her nicely if she would please leave the townspeople alone."

Sokka's eyes were bugling out of his sockets and his arms were gesticulating wildly. _"Since when has that ever worked?!"_

Rolling her eyes, Katara pushed past her brother and gently knocked on the door. It creaked open at the slightest touch, revealing pure darkness in the interior of the mansion. Katara took a step forward.

"Hello?"

No response.

"Hello?!"

The trio ventured forth into the dark foyer. "Well, there doesn't seem to be anything here," Sokka squeaked. "Guess it's time to hit the road…"

He backed up out of the foyer and towards the door – only to have the door slam shut in his face by an unseen force. Gulping, he huddled himself closer to Katara and Aang, looking around furiously in the darkness.

And then a voice came from out of nowhere, cackling loudly. _"You have invaded the lair of the Grey Witch!"_

Aang shuffled his feet and took a nervous breath. "We – we came to ask … if you would stop harassing the town … uh … _please_?"

The Witch cackled even more, and the trio desperately looked in all directions for her.

_"I love to play with my mice before I gobble them up! How about a little game? I know … if you win, you three are free to leave."_

"If we win, you also have to quit harming the townspeople!"

_"Very well, very well. But if I win, this place will be your permanent … resting place." _She relished the last two words.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this," Sokka asked.

"I'm the Avatar. What's the worst that can happen?" The monk turned to face the voice. "We accept your challenge, Witch!"

The cackling intensified, and the next thing the trio knew, the ground was giving way beneath them and they plunged into blackness.

* * *

Zuko and Mai ambled around the Earth Kingdom village, trying to shrug off the furious glares they received from the rest of the people. Obviously, Zuko and Mai were dressed in Fire Nation clothing, and they stuck out like a sore thumb.

Not to mention the catcalls they received.

_"Go back where you came from, cinder-breath!"_

_ "Haven't you caused enough harm?!"_

_ "What are you doing in our town?! Don't you have some small children to terrorize?!"_

"Ignore them," Mai said firmly.

Zuko shook his head. "Why am I not surprised? I'm not only hated by my own people – I'm hated worldwide!"

"Yea well, suck it up and be a man. Besides, not everyone hates you."

Zuko chuckled, taking the opportunity to tease Mai. "I take it you don't hate me? Does that mean you're in _love _with me?" He grinned, waiting for Mai's reaction.

"Whatever, 'cinder-breath'. Besides, we're here to pick up supplies, not discuss the intricacies of our relationship."

"Relationship huh? Well, people in relationships tend to hold hands and kiss, you know?"

"I told you, not in public. Besides, can we change the subject?"

Zuko's grin grew. In public, Mai distasted any talk of their relationship. In private, however, she had grown quite affectionate … with some work of course.

They came up to a vending stall. The man in front of them was charged three bronze coins for a bag of fruit. Zuko came next in line and asked for the same thing. The vendor glared at them and held up a sack of fruit. "That'll be six bronze coins."

The Fire Lord's jaw dropped. "But you only charged the other guy _three_ bronze coins!"

"Yea, well, there's an out-of-kingdom tax kid."

_Out of kingdom? _Zuko's eye twitched. "Oh, I get it. This is about me being Fire Nation!" He could feel his temper raging inside him. He felt like the whole world was out to get him personally. He turned around to the face the rest of the villagers.

"Yea, I'm Fire Nation," he shouted to them. He flailed his arms around like a maniac. "Stare all you want! Everyone look at the evil Firebender! _Ooh! Ooh! Oooohhh!_"

_"Zuko, you're making a scene," _Mai hissed in his ear.

"I don't care anymore!" He whirled around to the vendor. "We don't need your stinken' food!" And he marched off in a huff.

Mai slapped her forehead and hurried after him.

* * *

Aang, Katara and Sokka slowly sat up. They had taken quite a fall. Fortunately, Sokka turned out to be a very soft cushion upon which to land.

Aang gazed around at his surroundings. They appeared to be in a labyrinth, with walls as far and as tall as the eyes could see.

Sokka was stunned. "It's a … a maze."

"Is this the game," Aang asked. "To make our way through a maze?"

"It should be a cinch," Sokka replied. He took a step forward, before Aang called out to him.

"Wait!"

The Water Triber stopped in mid-step.

"I think the three of us should stick together," Aang explained. "It may not be as simple as we think." He picked up a pebble and tossed it into the maze. It landed on a stone tile, before being incinerated by a sudden blaze of fire.

"See," Aang said. "We should tread lightly."

Sokka stroked his chin. "Those walls are pretty high, but I don't think they reach all the way up to the ceiling. Maybe if you used your glider and flew above us, you could see the exit and point us in the right direction."

"That's a great idea!" Spinning his staff, a pair of blue wings sprouted out. "Be back in a second." Airbending his way up, the Avatar glided up towards the top of the stone walls.

There was a flash of lightning that came from nowhere. It narrowly missed Aang, but caused the Avatar to careen out of control all the same. He landed back where he started.

The Witch's voice rang out from the darkness.

_"Did you think that I was so unprepared to go against you, Avatar? No, no, no, there'll be no cheating here. But I will give you a little word of warning. If you make a wrong turn and come to a dead end, one of my booby traps will be sprung and one of you will be forced to pay the price. So since there are three of you, that means you only get three chances. Three strikes, and you're out!" _Her laughter keened across the walls of the labyrinth and sent chills up their spines.

"I guess that's it then," Aang replied somberly. "Three chances. We have to be careful." He pulled out a piece of paper and a small pencil and pressed it into Sokka's hands.

"Sokka, I know how much you love maps, so I need you to make a rough diagram of the turns we've taken as we go along."

He gave the Avatar a mock salute. "Will do."

"Alright. Let's do this." Together, the three of them took their first step into the maze.

* * *

"Well, did you pick up the food?" Ying was sitting on a stump, trying to use his Firebending to weld two broken pieces of metal back together.

Zuko lowered his head in embarrassment. "Uh … well …"

Mai came up behind him. "Yea, we almost did get some food, but then Captain Coockoo-Bananas over here decided to have a temper tantrum." She folder her arms impatiently.

"I'm sorry! But that guy really got under my skin!"

Ying lowered the two metal bars to the ground. "Look … I can patch this thing back together and get us back in the air in a few hours. But our entire food stores were wiped out in the crash. Just go back there and get us some already!"

Grumbling, Zuko turned around and began trudging back towards town.

"And I'm going to make sure you don't go off on another histrionic episode again," Mai said as she rushed to join him.

* * *

Sokka hummed as he traced out a path on the paper. Aang nervously held his staff out in front of him, prepared to strike anything that might pop out at them from around a corner.

That was when they came to a fork in the road.

"Which way should we go," Katara inquired.

The Avatar rubbed his chin. "I'm not sure…"

"This way," Sokka pointed left.

"How do you know that's the right way?"

He shrugged. "Half-hazard guessing."

"What if you're wrong?"

Sokka gulped. "Let's try not to think about that…"

Following Sokka's advice, the trio huddled close in the darkness. Aang tried to create a small ball of fire in his hand to illuminate their surroundings, but as he did so, a cold gust of wind blew it out. Cursing under his breath, he suddenly walked smack into a thick wall.

They had made a wrong turn.

They came to a dead end.

The witch's cackling voice snapped out of thin air. _"Ahahaha! You've made a wrong turn – and now, one of you has to pay the price!"_

Aang twirled his staff, ready to defend his friends, when suddenly, a black hole appeared in the ground beneath Sokka's feet. Ghostly black hands reached up from the abyss, grabbing the warrior's legs.

"Aang!" His plea was desperate, frightening. The Avatar threw himself at his friend.

"Sokka!"

It was too late. Sokka disappeared into the abyss, and the hole resealed itself.

Tears ran down the Avatar's cheek. He had failed. Now Sokka was … he pushed the thought of his mind. He would get himself and Katara out of here, and then he would force the witch to release Sokka … if he was still alive that is.

Katara's hand was against her chest, as she struggled to keep herself from panicking. She squeezed the monk's shoulder. "We should move…"

Nodding, he swallowed tightly, before grasping her hand and leading her on.

* * *

"There's … no one here! Where'd everyone go?"

Zuko and Mai stood in the center of town which, just an hour ago, was bustling with activity. Now it was all but deserted.

"Okay, this is kind of creepy," commented Mai. "Though I do enjoy the silence…"

"It's too silent." He motioned for his girlfriend. "Come on. We should have a look around." The two moved throughout the town, looking for any signs of life. "It's just like … everyone vanished."

Mai held out her hand. "Wait!" Her eyes darted around the town, and her hand slid inside her sleeve, masking a small blade. "We're not alone."

The two stood there, surveying their surroundings.

And then…

"Duck!"

Mai pushed Zuko out of the way as a bolt of energy flashed from out of nowhere and struck a nearby building, which burst into flame.

There was the sound of gears moving, and suddenly a large man leaped from a rooftop and confronted them.

Zuko gaped. "It can't be…"

The Combustion Man frowned down at them, before his third eye began surging with energy.

* * *

Katara and Aang made their way through the complex labyrinth, holding on to each other tightly. They came to a large fork in the road, with two paths.

"I think we came by here already," Katara groaned.

Aang muttered as he tried to figure out which way to go. "Maybe … we should go left."

"We already went left! It took us around in a big circle!"

"Then I guess we go right."

The duo took the right path, huddled closely together. It was after a few moments of silence that Katara began pointing ahead. "Look!"

There was a pale beam of light up ahead. Aang was excited. "The exit!"

They both hurtled towards it, joy spreading across their face. Aang could see it clearly now – the exit. "We finally made it!"

Their joy would not last.

Katara let out a yelp, and Aang whirled around to see several black hands holding her in the air, pulling her into the shadows. "Hey," he shouted. "We found the exit – you can't take her!"

The Witch's voice cackled. _"Did you really think it would be that simple? No – I'll be adding another soul to my collection!"_

"Let her go!"

"Go on without me, Aang," Katara ordered.

"Never!"

_"You have a choice, Avatar. I'm waiting for you at the exit. You can either attempt to save your wife and lose any chance of leaving – or you can come face me now! Choose!"_

"Aang! The exit door is closing!"

Aang stopped as he saw the exit begin shrinking – vanishing away. He would have to make a split-second choice. Either save Katara or stop the Witch.

It was a no-brainer.

Aang rushed towards Katara, waving his staff around furiously at the black hands. "Let her go!"

Behind him, the exit vanished completely.

And the hands fully dragged Katara into the darkness. Aang dove after them, but he slammed into solid wall. Rubbing his head, he began tearing at the wall furiously with his fingers. "Katara! Katara!"

Darkness began creeping around eyes, and his vision began swimming. The Witch's voice cackled in his head, and then he blacked out.

* * *

Zuko spun out of the way as the Combustion Man attacked again. Mai threw her stilettos at him. He merely deflected them with his metal arm.

He inhaled deeply and another pulse shot from his third eye, vaporizing a spot on the ground where Mai had stood less than a second before.

"I thought you and your friends killed this guy," Mai growled, firing darts repeatedly.

"I thought so too! We all saw him explode into nothing!"

The Combustion Man stomped towards them. Another deep inhale. Another explosion.

"Any ideas," Mai snapped.

"Fresh out."

The Fire Lord stepped forward and a pulse of fire surged from his knuckles. With surprising speed, the metal man sprung into the air, high above the flames. He landed hard on the ground, his fist punching deep into the earth as he landed. He straightened himself up and began marching towards them again.

Zuko studied the foe, taking in his metal arm and leg.

_That's it!_

Metal conducted electricity. If he could just generate some lightning…

"Mai … I need you to distract him."

"Whatever."

Mai began rapidly shooting more darts. They didn't hurt the silent giant, but was an annoyance. He turned and began advancing on her instead.

Zuko, meanwhile, began concentrating on separating his chi. His body trembled. He had never generated lightning before, and every time he tried, he failed. He prayed this time would be different.

He deepened his stance and breathed deeply. As he concentrated, he remembered his uncle's words when he attempted to teach him to generate lightning.

~0~

_Lightning is a pure expression of Firebending, without aggression. It is not fueled by rage or emotion, the way other Firebending is. Some call lightning "the cold-blooded fire." It is precise and deadly, like Azula. To perform the technique requires peace of mind._

~0~

He could feel his chi separating. He moved his arm around attempting to generate a charge. When he was sure he had it, he pointed and aimed at the Combustion Man.

** KABOOM!!!**

A giant explosion rocked the village square. Zuko was flat on his back, writhing in pain. His attempt to generate lightning had failed once again.

The Combustion Man was going to destroy them all now.

With a swat, he sent Mai flying hard across the ground. He aimed his third eye at her and inhaled long and deep, preparing to finish her off.

Zuko struggled to get up, but the pain was overwhelming.

He had to get to Mai. He had to save her!

The pain continued to build, exploding in his head. The world was swirling. His emotions built into a crescendo, building into a fury. He was furious – at the world, at the Combustion Man – but especially at himself.

He was angry that he still couldn't generate lightning.

He was angry that he couldn't save Mai.

He allowed his rage to take hold of him.

~0~

_You've always thrown everything you could at me! Well, I can take it, and now I can give it back! Come on! Strike me! You've never held back before!_

~0~

The Combustion Man lowered his arms and his face twisted into shock to see a brilliant burning flame coming straight at him. He raised his metallic arm, shielding his face. The flames arced around him, and he struggled to stay standing as bits of his clothing were burned away.

When he opened his eyes, there were flames everywhere. Zuko rose from the burning ground like a phoenix, fire in his eyes. With a roar, he sent more flames at the villain.

The metal man dove out of the way, only to be blasted square in the chest with more flame. He flew into the side of a building, crashing into it. Rising to his feet, he lifted his flesh hand up to his eyes and blinked. His head was swimming and he felt dizzy. Zuko was on the move.

Combustion Man inhaled deeply, preparing another combustion attack. His dizziness, however, took hold of him, and his attack missed – instead striking part of the ceiling. For the first time, his eyes widened in alarm.

And then he was gone as the entire second story of the house collapsed on top of him.

Zuko was still seething, but he managed to calm himself down. Mai was sitting in an upright position, her mouth agape. "What was that," she inquired.

"I … I don't know. I just went into a blind rage or something." He grabbed Mai's hand. "We have to get out of here. Something tells me that the tin man won't be down and out for long."

"But what about food? Ying won't be too happy."

"He'll have to deal with it! Let's go!" He yanked on her arm and they sprinted away from the village.

Behind them, a metal hand rose out of the rubble…

* * *

When Aang awoke, he found himself lying in a bed. He immediately felt something wet against his cheek. Reaching out to see what it was, he felt soft fur. _"Momo," _he muttered.

His eyes came into focus, and standing around him were Katara and Sokka. There was also the bartender from earlier.

He sat up quickly in his bed. "What's going on?! The Witch! What happened?!"

"Relax, Aang," Sokka laughed. "Here's our 'witch'." He motioned towards the bartender, who waved happily at him.

"W-what? I don't understand."

"There was never any _real_ witch," Katara answered. "And Sokka and I were never _really _in any danger. It was all just smoke and mirrors. And the whole town was in on it."

Aang regarded the laughing bartender. "But why?"

"First, we really enjoy messing with people. But second … it was a test for you, Avatar."

"A test?"

She nodded.

"And did I pass?"

She bit her lip. "Aang … let's talk."

* * *

Aang and the bartender stood on a balcony overlooking the whole village. The sun had set and the crescent moon shone in the sky. Below, Sokka and Katara were busy grooming Appa.

"This island is a very spiritual place," the bartender was explaining. "Thousands of years ago, it was the birth place of Avatar Ko-Rei."

"Avatar Ko-Rei?" Aang had never heard of him before.

"Avatar Ko-Rei was an Air Nomad – and an extremely powerful Avatar. He gained worldwide fame and adoration for his skills. But for all his power he was still … human. And as such, he was subject to human desires and temptations."

"What do you mean?"

"The world has propped up the Avatar as being this perfect being who never errs or makes mistakes. But the opposite is true. Even with the powers of the universe, he is still human and capable of making mistakes."

"Trust me, I've made my fair share," Aang admitted.

"And Avatar Ko-Rei did as well. He wanted to perfect the world, make it over as he saw fit, but his tactics were … _questionable_. The Spirit World took action against him, and, according to legend, he vanished from the world … just as you did."

Aang took this in.

"Avatars can be corrupted, Aang. Selfless motives and goals can be twisted. Good intentions can rain destruction on the world. And our own personal desires can destroy us. That was what I was testing today – whether or not you have the ability to put your missions and duties as Avatar first – before your personal feelings and attachments."

Aang reflected on this – back in the labyrinth, he had turned his back at the last minute on his goal in order to rescue Katara.

"The love you share with Katara is strong; there is no doubt about that. But the question is, can you put your duties as Avatar before your personal life. If it comes down to it, can you be the Avatar first, and lover second? Can you give up being with the one you love for greater good? These are questions you must consider Aang. Love is good and pure … but it is a temptress all the same."

The bartender left him alone with his thoughts. Aang looked down at Katara laughing with Sokka. She looked absolutely stunning in the moonlight.

If it came down to it, could he give up being with Katara to save the world?

He lay his arms and head down on the balcony railing, considering his life and Katara's role in it…

* * *

_Hey everyone! Sorry for the long update time. I will try to be more prompt in the future. Anyway, please review and tell me what you think :)!_


	8. Chapter 8: Conspiracy Theories

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

Book 4:

Air

Chapter eight:

Conspiracy Theories

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The dark hallways were silent except for the sound of footsteps. A procession of hooded figures, carrying torches glided echoless down the hall, their torches casting an eerie red glow around the proceedings.

The procession stopped in a large, round room, and the figures lined up in a circle. One of the figures stepped forward, carrying several lanterns. He began placing them on the floor, arranging them in a bizarre pattern.

The others were chanting as he worked.

Finally, he stopped in the center of the room as the chanting moved into a fever pitch. He raised his hand, and with a snap of his fingers, the lanterns ignited into blazing light.

The chanting instantly stopped as the figure in the center threw back his hood, revealing himself.

Ozai.

The Pheonix King stood silently, head bowed and eyes closed, as if in meditation. A chilling breeze wafted throughout the room, blowing the lanterns out; the room fell into near blackness.

Everyone waited with baited breath. The spirit they were attempting to summon was now here.

A soft voice rang out from the darkness, penetrating deep into the souls of all who heard it. _"Why have you summoned me, Phoenix King?"_

Ozai cleared his throat and spoke reverently. "I need advise, O Wise One."

_"You seek my council? There are other spirits you could have called upon. Some that would be of better service to you."_

"None who have the same depth of knowledge as you do." He knew that this spirit was easily flattered. It would tell him what he wanted to know.

_"Then ask, and I will tell you what you must do."_

"I want to gain control of the world. I know that if I attacked the other nations, they wouldn't be able to resist my forces – but there is still someone who can yet stop me."

_"You speak of the Avatar."_

"Precisely. He can ruin all of my carefully laid plans – again!"

The spirit laughed softly. _"You have no need to fret, Ozai. There is one alive now whose potential far surpasses even the Avatar's. One whose power can go beyond the universe – transcend space and time. One who is physically and mentally unlimited."_

The Phoenix King was anxious. "Where can I find such a person?!"

_"The one with the power to destroy the Avatar is closer than you think."_

"I don't understand…"

_"Have patience, Phoenix King. All will soon be revealed to you … the one who can destroy the Avatar has been here all along, under everyone's noses. In time, this individual will realize their true power. The Avatar will fall … and you shall finally reign supreme…"_

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"I'm telling you – the Dai Li are back in town and are planning something!" Jin sighed in exasperation as she piled several teacups onto a tray. Her counterpart had been nagging her about this all day.

"Toph, for the umpteenth time – the Dai Li are _not_ back! And even if they were, don't you think someone would have encountered them by now?"

"Someone _did_ encounter them," shouted Toph, waving her arms around. "_I_ encountered them! I already told you this!" She sighed, and then began talking as though explaining something to a small child. "I sensed a Dai Li agent running around the other night. I followed him to an underground base beneath Lake Laogai. Long Feng was there. They tried hypnotizing me, but they couldn't because I was blind -."

"Exactly," Jin interrupted, placing delicate China up in a cupboard. "You're blind – how can you be so sure you met Dai Li if you can't _see_ anything?"

Toph stamped her foot. "How many times must I tell you?! I can "see" through my feet!"

"Okay. But then, how do you know you weren't dreaming?"

"I _know_ I wasn't dreaming! I was wide awake! I fought one of them!" She held up her wrist. "See this bruise?!"

"How do I know you didn't get that from tripping over something?"

"Earthbenders don't _trip_!"

"Whatever, Toph. I don't have time to listen to your wild imaginations anyway – this tea has to get to those customers." Toph mumbled under her breath as Jin walked towards the dining area carrying a tray.

"Iroh, you believe me, right?"

Iroh had been sitting in a corner in the kitchen the whole time, calmly sipping on his tea, a newspaper sprawled across his lap. The old man didn't seem to be listening – in fact, his face had just lit up from what he was reading.

"Wow! There's going to be a 'Cultural Heritage Day' tomorrow to celebrate the liberation of Ba Sing Se from the Fire Nation. Oooh, and there'll be girls, and food, and …" here his eyes really lit up, "samplings of tea from all across the Four Nations!"

Iroh's eyes continued to scan the contents of the newspaper. "And there's going to be an award ceremony!" He practically dropped his tea. "And I'm going to be one of the people receiving an award!" He began quoting from the article itself. _"For his efforts in recapturing Ba Sing Se, and also for his exquisite tea making abilities."_

The old man began fluttering around the room as if he were weightless, singing in joy. Toph rolled her eyes.

"Congratulations, Iroh, but there's a more pressing matter at hand. THE FACT THAT THE DAI LI ARE BACK!"

Iroh stopped in mid-dance, his mouth open in an "o" shape. "Now Toph, even if the Dai Li are back, they're too scattered and ill-equipped to form much of a resistance."

"Yea, well they formed a heck of a resistance against me the other night! Not to mention the fact that Long Feng is in charge of them again!"

Iroh stroked his beard. "_Long Feng?_ The Earth King's old Secretariat? But he's in prison, isn't he?"

"The Dai Li busted him out."

"Well then this is very serious indeed. Immediate action must be taken!"

"Thank you," the blind Earthbender said, putting her hands on her hips. "At last, _someone_ who sees reason!"

"But first, we have more pressing matters to attend to."

Toph practically shot into the roof in her frustration. "WHAT CAN POSSIBLY BE MORE PRESSING THAN THIS?!"

"I have to decide what to wear to my award ceremony tomorrow! Should I wear brown or green … or maybe a nice peach color?" His eyes glittered as he imagined himself receiving his award.

Toph smacked her forehead. "That's it! If no one else will help stop the Dai Li, then I'm doing it myself!" She stomped out of the kitchen, nearly knocking a tray out of Jin's hand.

"Where are you going," Jin asked.

"I'm taking a personal day," she scowled, before slamming the Jasmine Dragon's front door shut behind her.

Jin turned to Iroh. "If she gets a personal day, then I want one too."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The refugee boat rocked softly along the gentle waves as it glided towards its destination – Ba Sing Se. Zuko leaned over the railing, inhaling the fresh, crisp sea air.

After the fiasco with the war balloon, Ying had decided to take the refugee ship to the grand city. Ba Sing Se still had a steady stream of refugees trying to enter the city, even after the war. Ying felt that if the trio passed themselves off as migrants, they would be harder for the Combustion Man to track.

Zuko was lost in thought as he stared at the horizon. He was worried about what his uncle would think about him. He wasn't even Fire Lord for a month and he had allowed his father to take back control of the Fire Nation.

His mind still lingered back to his confrontation with Azula during their escape from the Fire Nation. Someone wearing his Blue Spirit costume had come to his rescue, distracting Azula long enough for Zuko to get away with his life.

Who this person was – or how the Blue Spirit costume had come to be in their possession – was still a mystery to him.

Mai joined him next to the railing, roughly shoving a cloak into his arms.

"What's this for," he inquired.

"To cover yourself in. Supposing that that crazy tin man was hiding out on this ship – you want him to recognize you?"

Zuko bit his lip. "No, I suppose not." He quickly threw the cloak over himself, covering his head.

"Do you really think your uncle can help stop your father?"

"Uncle's a member of a vast secret society – if anyone can stop my father, it's him."

"What about the Avatar?"

"Aang's busy with far more important things…"

Mai folded her arms and snorted. "More important than saving the world?"

"Aang's mission to restore the Air Nomads takes precedence. If he can't find any Air Nomads, the Avatar Cycle will come to an end – and there won't be a world to save."

Mai rolled her eyes. "Yea, well, all this spiritual mumbo-jumbo is too complicated for me."

The couple was approached by Ying, who was munching on a sandwich. "Hey, a bunch of refugees below deck are gambling for food – you guys want in?"

Mai's mouth was agape. "You're _really_ gambling with refugees?"

Ying shrugged. "Hey, my family was wiped out and I was exiled from home. That makes me a refugee too!" He took another bite of his sandwich. "If you guys want in on the action, you know where to find me."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Toph wandered the streets of Ba Sing Se, heading for the Royal Palace. If Iroh and Jin wouldn't believe her about the Dai Li, then perhaps the Earth King would. So the blind Earthbender made her way towards the entrance of the Palace.

Her entry was blocked by several guards. "No commoners allowed inside the Royal Palace."

Toph raised an eyebrow. "_Commoner?_ I think not." She flashed her family's crest, and the guard gasped.

"Miss Bei Fong … please excuse me! I didn't realize it was you! Of course you may enter the Royal Palace."

"Great. I need to speak with the Earth King immediately."

The guard bit his lip. "I'm afraid that's not possible … you see, the Earth King has recently fallen ill and is not up to company right now."

"But this is an emergency!"

"If it's an emergency, I can set up an appointment with one of our generals – General How may be around here somewhere."

The other guard cleared his throat. "_Actually _… General How hasn't been around all day. In fact, I don't remember seeing him for a couple days now." He turned to the young girl. "If you want, I can -."

He was unable to finish his sentence. Toph was already taking off in the opposite direction at a full sprint.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Toph's mind was racing.

_The Earth King is sick … General How's missing. This _can't_ all be coincidental. The Dai Li _must_ be behind this! I have to warn someone! Iroh will know what to do!_

She burst through the doors of the Jasmine Dragon, violently upsetting several patrons. "Iroh!"

The old man stumbled through the kitchen doors, his eyes wide with alarm. "What?! What's going on?!"

"Iroh! General How … missing … Earth King … Dai Li …" She struggled with her words, panting heavily.

"Toph, you're making no sense," Iroh said, his eyes widened with concern.

She gripped the old man by the shirt. "The Dai Li made the Earth King sick! And they've kidnapped General How!" She wheezed, out of breath from her sprint to the tea shop.

"Toph, I mean no disrespect, but you sound absolutely out of your mind!"

"I'm not! The Dai Li have kidnapped General How, I know it!"

Iroh laid his hand on her shoulder and kneeled down so that they were face to face. He looked in her eyes very seriously and said, "Toph … that's impossible."

"It's not impossible, Iroh! I spoke with two royal guards. General How has been missing for several days now!"

"He's not missing Toph. In fact …" Iroh stepped aside to reveal one of the patrons sitting at a nearby table, calmly sipping some tea. "General How is here, enjoying a fine cup of ginseng."

Toph was at a loss for words. General How was indeed sitting there, humming to himself as he poured another teaspoon of sugar into his cup.

"B-but … how ...?"

Iroh was very concerned. "Toph, I understand that you miss all the adventures you had with your friends, but that doesn't mean that there's a conspiracy under every rock. Are you sure that in your thirst for adventure, you're starting to see villainous plots everywhere?"

"Are you suggesting that I'm making this all up?"

"No. But are you sure that you aren't making connections where there aren't any?"

The young girl was sputtering. "I'm not crazy, Iroh!"

"I never suggested that -."

"I fought the Dai Li! I know that they're here and up to no good and I'm going to prove it!" She turned to storm out the door and walked smack into an entering patron.

"Hey, watch where you're going," she growled.

The person gripped her shoulders tightly. "Toph?"

Toph froze. She recognized that voice. "Sparky?" She quickly embraced Zuko in a tight hug. Mai and Ying lingered behind them, both unsure of what to do. Mai really hoped Toph wouldn't try to hug her as well.

"Good to see you too, Toph," Zuko replied. His eyes moved up from the girl to the beaming man standing in the center of the tea shop.

"Uncle!"

Prying himself free from Toph, Zuko rushed into his uncle's warm embrace. Iroh mussed up his nephew's hair. "It is good to see you, Fire Lord Zuko." He looked past his nephew to his comrades. "Mai, a pleasure to see you. And … my goodness, is that you, Ying? It's been too long. What have I done to deserve such fine company? But, may I ask, what brings you out here? Zuko, don't you have a nation to run?"

Zuko's arms dropped to his sides. "That's what I wanted to talk about."

The old man could tell from his nephew's tone that there was serious business to discuss. He turned towards the kitchen and shouted, "Jin! Bring us a round of jasmine!"

The waitress hummed to herself as she piled a teapot and several cups onto a tray and moved into the serving area. Iroh, Zuko and the rest sat themselves at a table. Toph was so excited to have Zuko around again that she had momentarily forgotten about the Dai Li and eagerly joined them.

Jin placed the tray on the table, and her eyes met with Zuko's. There was a moment's pause. Finally, Jin spoke.

_"Lee?"_

Zuko gulped and his face turned red. "Uh … hi, Jin."

"So where have you been all this time? You take me out on a date, kiss me, run away and I never hear from you again."

The Fire Lord tugged his collar nervously. "Uh … well you see …"

Mai glared daggers at both of them. "You took her on a date," she said; for the first time, Zuko saw a twinge of anger on her face. "And kissed her? And you never told me?"

"Uh, who exactly are _you_," Jin asked, turning to the pale girl. There was a recognizable hint of bitterness in her voice.

"I happen to be his girlfriend," Mai answered, moving her chair closer to Zuko's. Toph leaned forward, anxious to find out what was going to happen next.

Iroh immediately attempted to diffuse the situation. "Mai … this isn't what you think. I'm the one who set Zuko up on a date with her. That was before you two officially got together."

Mai leaned back in her chair, arms folded. "Whatever, I don't really care either way."

"_Lee_," Jin pouted, turning to the blushing boy sitting before her. "Don't tell me you forgot about me. You had to have felt something when we kissed..."

Mai turned to her boyfriend. "_Did_ you feel something?"

"Uh, no I didn't," he answered, trying to appease his girlfriend. Seeing Jin's offended face, he quickly added. "Uh, well, maybe a _little!_" Mai scoffed, and Zuko turned to her, his face reddening by the second. "Uh … I mean … _I don't know what to say!_"

Iroh looked at his waitress. "Jin, if you don't mind, could you please return to the kitchen? It appears we have a lot to discuss."

"Of course, Mr. Iroh." She winked at Zuko and blew him a kiss, before returning to the back of the tea shop. Zuko lowered his head embarrassed. Mai's eyes were narrowed as they lingered on Jin, before she returned back to her normal, bored stare. She was beginning to dislike that girl much more than she typically disliked most people.

Iroh leaned forward. "Well now, Nephew, you must have come here for a reason…"

Clearing his throat and overcoming his embarrassment, the teenager nodded. "Oh … right." He cleared his throat and began his story.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Iroh's fingers were steepled together as Zuko concluded his story. He seemed lost in thought for a moment, before finally speaking.

"So my brother is up to his old tricks. And worse, he's intent on restarting the war."

"We have to stop him," Zuko earnestly said.

"I agree. We must move quickly. If you'll excuse me for a moment…" Iroh got up from his table and headed for the kitchen.

It was at this point that Mai leaned towards her boyfriend. _"So why didn't you tell me about her," _she hissed in his ear.

"About Jin? What's there to tell? We went on a date – that's it."

"That's it? You kissed her."

"Are you jealous, Mai?"

"As if."

"Well, you seem kind of jealous to me."

"Just drop it."

"You're the one who brought it up, Mai."

"Only because she flaunted your relationship with her right in my face."

"_Relationship?!_ She and I only had a single date!"

"Whatever Zuko." And with that, Mai folded her arms and fell silent. Zuko rubbed his temples, clearly irritated.

It was at that moment that Iroh returned, with a small messenger hawk perched on his shoulder. He inserted two scrolls into a pouch looped around the bird's neck. He then withdrew a small lotus tile from his sleeve and placed it in the pouch as well. "I'm mailing out two letters. One to the Order of the White Lotus – the other to the Avatar. He needs to be informed of this as well."

"Are you sure we want to bother Aang with something like this," Zuko inquired.

"The Avatar must learn how to deal with all kinds of trials at once … besides, knowing what Ozai and Azula are capable of, we're going to need all the help we can get."

He opened a window in the shop, and out the hawk went.

Toph had been silent for the past few minutes, but now she seemed to remember where she was going before Zuko arrived.

"Listen, Sparky," she said. "Your big, bad dad isn't the only issue. The Dai Li are up to their old tricks too – and Long Feng's in charge of them."

"We've been over this before, Toph," Iroh replied, returning to the table.

"Your uncle doesn't believe me. But I _know_! I was there – I saw Long Feng and I fought one of the Dai Li. They tried hypnotizing me too!"

"Toph, we have more important issues here than a possible Dai Li conspiracy," Zuko answered.

The Blind Bandit shook her head. "I can't believe no one believes me! If Ozai came back, why is it so hard to believe Long Feng's back too?"

"Enough, Toph," Iroh said sternly. "We must keep our attention focused elsewhere."

Grumbling, Toph rose up from the table. "Fine! If no one wants to help me, then I'm going to stop the Dai Li myself!" And she stormed out of the Jasmine Dragon.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

_"Stupid so-called friends," _Toph grumbled to herself as she made her way down the streets of Ba Sing Se. _"Don't even believe me… Well I'm going to prove them wrong … I can't wait to see the looks on their faces. That'll show them."_

Flashing the Bei Fong crest, Toph caught a free ride on one of Ba Sing Se's many trains, which took her far out to the Lower Ring of the city. From there, she headed to Lake Laogai where the underground Dai Li base was located.

Standing on the shores of the lake, Toph used Earthbending to open a hole in the ground. Dropping through, she found herself back in the Dai Li's secretive headquarters.

As she snuck through the base, she remembered the exciting adventure she shared with her friends under the lake. They had foiled Long Feng's wicked brainwashing schemes, but in the end, it cost a noble hero his life… Jet.

Her mind wandered to Aang. Surely _he_ would have believed her if she told him about the Dai Li. She remembered her farewell to him last month, before he took off on his quest to find his people.

It was a depressing day when Team Avatar went its separate ways – and it was on that day that Toph decided she would sneak back to the Jasmine Dragon.

As she looked around, it struck her as odd that the entire facility seemed deserted. Not a single life form in sight. No Dai Li, no Long Feng … no anything.

Toph meandered through the facility, trying to sense any movement through her feet. Still nothing. Everything was absolutely still – no vibrations.

After an hour, she decided to give up her search. _Maybe Iroh was right,_ she thought. _Maybe I _did_ imagine the whole thing._

She was about to head up to the surface, when she sensed something moving rapidly towards her. She braced herself, ready for a Dai Li attack – but the odd thing was, it didn't feel like a Dai Li agent.

In fact, whatever it was seemed to be made partially of metal.

Whatever it was entered the chamber, and a mental image appeared through her feet. Her mouth hung slack. It couldn't be…

_"You!"_

The Combustion Man towered over her, and she simply stood there in shock. How could this be? The Combustion Man was blown up at the Western Air Temple. She had felt his demise through the shockwaves. No one could have survived that.

Toph was so busy trying to sort this through in her mind, that she didn't sense the Dai Li agent club her in the back of the head. She fell forward, slipping into unconsciousness.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The first thing Toph was aware of when she regained consciousness was the fact that she was restrained in a sitting position. She tried to use bending to free herself, but to no avail. She was strapped to a wooden chair. She struggled to pull herself free, but after a few moments of thrashing about, she simply gave up. The back of her head still ached and she just didn't have the energy to fight back anymore.

The second thing Toph was aware of was the voices. _"Good, she's waking up," _came one voice. She couldn't quite make out where it was coming from, as she was still in a bit of a daze.

However, she did recognize the speaker.

"Long Feng," she spat.

"The Blind Bandit," he cooed. "We meet again."

"When I get out of here, you're going to wish your parents never met!"

"Save your empty threats, Miss Bei Fong." Long Feng was circling her, like a slimy snake. His voice was filled with venomous pleasure. "You're perfectly restrained with no way out. You're strapped to a wooden chair in an abandoned warehouse located in the Lower Ring of the city – and I'm taking no precautions this time."

"What do you want with me? You can't hypnotize me, you know!"

"Oh, I'm well aware of that now. I have no intention of hypnotizing you … but you have your uses."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you shall be the bait lure my prey into my snare."

"Bait? For who?"

She heard the grinding of gears as the silent Combustion Man entered the room. Long Feng indicated the mechanical man. "My new associate here has been tracking a certain Firebending friend of yours for a while now."

"Zuko," Toph breathed.

"When Zuko discovers I have you in my possession, he'll go to any lengths to rescue you – and my associate here will be waiting for him."

"And what do you get out of this deal?"

"First, he helped me catch you. You're the only one who has any knowledge that my Dai Li are active again. You could have blown the lid open wide on my whole operation. Thankfully, those fools didn't believe you, now did they?"

Toph grit her teeth.

Long Feng was still chuckling. "In addition to my arrangement with my new friend here, I've made some alliances with some influential people in the Fire Nation. I have the complete backing of some of the richest Fire Nation nobles and generals. With them in my back pocket, nothing can stand in my way."

"And what about the Earth King," the blind girl demanded. "He's not sick, is he?"

"Afraid not. My Dai Li agents are in the process of hypnotizing him as we speak. Soon he'll be nothing but my own personal mind slave. And tomorrow, during our city's 'Cultural Heritage Day', the Earth King will step down from office and appoint me Earth King in his place."

"Your plan won't work," Toph spat. "Zuko and Iroh will stop you."

"Your hope is unfounded," the scoundrel taunted. "When Zuko comes looking for you, he'll find my friend here, waiting for him."

"If you do anything to hurt any of us, then Aang will come after you!"

Here, Long Feng burst into laughter. "The Avatar is too busy on some hackneyed quest to find an extinct race. Besides, word on the street is Ozai already has people hunting the boy down. Either way, I'll be victorious in the end."

"If you think you can trust the Fire Nation, you're wrong! They'll betray you just as Azula did!"

"I don't think so. The Fire Nation and I have a mutual goal here."

"And what's that?"

"Complete world domination."

"You're insane!"

"Maybe so. But it's us insane people who drive the world." Long Feng withdrew an object from his sleeve. Toph suddenly felt a sharp pain in her arm and she bit her lip, trying not to scream from the pain.

Long Feng had cut her arm with a dagger. He allowed a few drops of Toph's blood to drip from the dagger onto a piece of parchment. He then rolled it up and handed it to a Dai Li agent. "See that this reaches Fire Lord Zuko."

Laughing, Long Feng exited the room with the Combustion Man, leaving Toph alone to thrash about helplessly in her wooden chair.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Zuko and Iroh were alone in the Jasmine Dragon's kitchen. Mai wasn't talking to Zuko, and he suspected it was because of the whole Jin situation. Iroh had already sent out several messenger hawks to gather the White Lotus members together. Aang would also receive a hawk … wherever he was.

"Do you think we'll be able to stop my father again," he finally asked.

"I shouldn't see why not. Even if your father has the backing of the entire Fire Nation, the military is still too unorganized to launch an effective measure immediately. It will take some time for him to begin another full scale invasion."

"I don't know though …" Zuko was lost in thought. "My father may be many things, but he's not dumb. He knows he can't immediately begin the war … and with Aang a fully realized Avatar; he knows that the odds are highly stacked against him … but what if he has something big up his sleeve?"

Iroh swigged down some more tea. "If that is indeed the case, then we must find out his plans and stop him before they are put into motion."

There was a sudden chirping sound at the window and the old man looked to see what it was. A messenger hawk.

"That's funny," he observed. "My messenger hawks shouldn't be back _this_ soon…"

"I think it's a different one. Look, it has a letter around its neck."

Iroh unfurled the letter and his eyes widened. "It's for you…" He handed the parchment to his nephew and Zuko scanned its contents.

_Dear Former Fire Lord Zuko,_

_We have kidnapped your blind friend. Come to the abandoned warehouse at midnight tonight, or she dies. Come alone … if anyone else is with you, we will kill her on the spot._

At the bottom, there was a sticky red substance that looked like blood.

"It's obviously a trap," Zuko said silently. He looked over at his uncle. "But Toph will die if I don't go…"

"That's why you'll have me, Mai and Ying for backup."

Zuko stared at him blankly. "But the letter said to come alone…"

Iroh gave him a knowing look. "But if they don't _s_eeus, then we can give them the element of surprise."

The boy grabbed his cloak and threw it over his shoulders. "I hope this plan of yours works, Uncle."

"Relax. What's the worst that can happen?"

"Yea, like I haven't heard that before."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The hooded figure walked alone through the dark, abandoned warehouse. The only light was from the moon, creeping in from the skylight above. The figure looked up at the skylight to see a moon. Tomorrow night it would be a full moon.

As the figure reached the center of a room, he found a small girl bound to a chair. _"Toph."_

The blind girl's head immediately shot up. "Who's there?!"

The figure threw back its hood to reveal Zuko.

"Sparky?" Toph was ecstatic. Then she became angry. "I told you! There _is_ a Dai Li conspiracy!"

"I'm sorry for not believing you." He kneeled to begin undoing her fastenings.

"No!" There was such panic in her voice that Zuko's face jerked upward violently. "This whole thing is a trap for you! Long Feng is in on this with the Fire Nation – they want to _kill_ you! You have to get out of here – NOW!"

"Not without you."

"You really are pigheaded sometimes, you know that?"

Toph flexed her wrists as she was fully freed. She grabbed Zuko's arm and began pulling on him. "We have to go!"

A sudden discharge of energy stopped them in their tracks. "Oh cripes," Toph maoned. "It's him."

"The Combustion Man," Zuko nodded.

The mechanical man appeared from out of the darkness, his face blank and staring. He inhaled deeply, before a bolt of pure energy shot out of his third eye. Zuko threw Toph and himself onto the ground as an explosion rocketed above them.

"Move," he shouted, and the two of them rolled to the side as another explosion incinerated the floor where they lay just a moment ago. They were on their feet again as the Combustion Man eyed them up.

"Any ideas, Zuko?"

"Maybe just one."

"Well it better be a good one. It took all of us to defeat him last time. And that was only because Sokka got lucky with his boomerang."

"Just relax Toph – look!" He pointed up at the skylight, which suddenly fragmented and splintered, breaking altogether and sending shards of broken glass raining down on them.

Iroh, Ying and Mai joined Zuko and Toph. The blind girl was astounded. "Reinforcements? Nice…"

The Combustion Man looked momentarily alarmed, before he regained his composure, discharging another attack at the group.

"Scatter," was Iroh's command, and they did. The Combustion Man was surrounded on all sides.

"Give up," Zuko warned his enemy. "You can't take all of us at once."

The Combustion didn't seem to hear him. In fact, his eyes were closed and his arms were crossed against his chest.

"What's he doing," Mai asked.

Iroh seemed baffled. "Is he … it looks like he's meditating!"

Suddenly, his eyes opened and he flung his arms out to the sides. A giant sphere of compressed energy detonated around the silent warrior, sending his foes flying up against the wall.

Mai was the first to recover, shooting several darts from her wrists. The mechanical freak soared into the air, propelled himself off a side wall and landed towards Mai. His metal arm struck her across the face, and she was out cold.

"Mai!" Zuko and Toph attacked using fire and earth respectively. The Combustion Man dodged Toph's attacks, and then deflected Zuko's flames with his metallic arm. A bolt streaked from his eye, hitting part of the wall behind them, disintegrating them.

Toph was struck in the head with debris, and she joined Mai in unconsciousness.

Iroh and Ying launched a simultaneous attack with Firebending. The bald warrior created a barrier of superheated air, absorbing their attacks. Another sphere of compressed energy drove Iroh and Ying back.

Zuko dove after him, attempting to gain the better of the burly man. The Combustion Man easily dodged all of the young man's attacks, before barreling him up against a wall like a rhino. Zuko let out a cry as he felt his ribs begin to bruise. He saw stars, and his vision was swimming.

Iroh and Yin were back up, preparing for another offensive. The Combustion Man glared at them, before picking Zuko up by the scruff of his neck, dangling him in the air. The two elderly men halted, understanding that if they attacked, Zuko's life was at risk.

It was a stalemate.

At least until the tip of a blade appeared through the Combustion Man's shoulder. The villain looked down to see the blade protruding from his body. The attack had come from behind. He was forced to drop Zuko to the ground.

Everyone focused their attention at the new addition to this fray. It was the Blue Spirit. Even though he was semi-conscious, Zuko clearly perked up. It was the same person disguised in his Blue Spirit costume who had saved him from Azula.

The Blue Spirit withdrew another broadsword, dual-wielding them in an amazing fashion. The masked warrior now went on the offensive with a flurry of specialized attacks. The Combustion Man tried to parry the blows with his metal arm, but to no avail. Soon his chest was covered with slices from attacks.

And he was getting angrier by the minute.

Soon he was firing off blasts from his third eye indiscriminately. The energy ripped throughout the warehouse, blowing holes in the walls and ceilings. Zuko could tell that in a matter of moments, there was going to be a cave-in.

The Blue Spirit was unfazed. With incredible speed and agility, he sashayed about the room like a dancer, easily skirting the Combustion Man's every attack. Rolling under another bolt of energy, the masked warrior got beneath the metallic giant's guard, slicing along his hip. A sudden back flip and a midair reversal, and the Blue Spirit brought the hilt of his sword down to bear on his foe's forehead.

He bashed the hilt of his weapon right into the Combustion Man's third eye.

Which, of course, was his weak spot.

The Combustion Man snarled like an abysmal creature, barely able to keep his balance. Dazed, the behemoth discharged one final attack from his third eye.

Big mistake.

The bolt of energy that surged forth never struck the Blue Spirit. Instead, it trailed up along the wall and the ceiling. There was an earsplitting crack, and suddenly part of the ceiling caved in on the Combustion Man, burying him in rubble.

Zuko climbed to his feet and began moving towards the wreckage. The Combustion Man had survived near death before, and this he would be taking no chances. However, the Blue Spirit held out a hand for him to stop and shook his head, cautioning him to wait.

The rubble suddenly was blown away as the Combustion Man made his ferocious reappearance, veins throbbing throughout his body. He took a step forward, before his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed with a great quake.

For a moment, things were silent.

Then, to everyone's great surprise, the Combustion Man's prone form began to melt. To Zuko's utter amazement, the mechanical man's body dissolved into a thick, goopy mess, leaving nothing behind except for his clothing, metal arm and leg.

The boy gaped. What had caused the Combustion Man to simply liquefy like that? To his knowledge, the human body simply didn't do that. "Freaky," was all he could say.

He turned to the Blue Spirit. "Thanks for you-." He stopped in midsentence. The Blue Spirit was, once again, gone without a trace.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Whoa … My head feels like it's been split in two." Toph held the sides of her head with both hands, shaking off the pain. She was laying in a small cot inside the Jasmine Dragon. She didn't know how she got here, or under what circumstances. All she remembered was …

"Zuko!"

The Firebender appeared in the room, concern spread across his face. "Toph! Are you feeling any better?"

"Yea, yea. But what about 'Sparky Sparky Boom Guy?'"

Zuko shrugged. "Let's just say he uh … _melted under pressure._"

"Okay. But what about the Earth King?! Long Feng told me that he was planning on brainwashing him!"

Zuko sat down on the mat next to her. "Don't worry about that. Uncle and Ying have gone to the palace to find him."

Toph lay back on her head. "Well that's a relief … _sort of_." She decided to change the subject. "So what's the deal with you and that Jin girl?" She flashed him an evil grin.

Zuko's face suddenly went very pale. "Nothing happened! We went on one date – why is everyone on me about this?!"

"Calm down. Yikes! Seriously, with the way you go off about her, I'd think you had a thing for her or something."

_"I don't have anything for her!"_

"Okay, don't bite my head off. Besides, Mai already has enough competition from Sugar Queen without Jin coming into the picture."

"What does Katara have to do with this?"

"Please, Zuko. I heard about the way you threw yourself into the way of Azula's attack all those weeks ago."

"I don't like Katara … _that way … _I'm in love with can we please stop talking about my love life? You're beginning to give me a headache. Besides, we don't want to wake Mai up." He pointed to a nearby cot where Mai was still lying unconscious from their previous battle.

It was at that moment that the door to the tea shop was flung open and a desperate looking Iroh and Ying stumbled through the door. "The Earth King is not in the palace," Iroh breathed.

Toph shot upright instantaneously. "I told you! Long Feng's got him! We have to save him!"

"We don't know where to look," Zuko groused.

"Oh, quite the contrary," Ying interjected. He put two fingers into his mouth and whistled. There was a hoarse growl, and suddenly a slimy tongue licked Zuko's face.

"His name is Bosco," Iroh beamed. "The Earth King's pet bear."

"How's a bear going to help us?"

"Don't you see," Ying pointed out. "Bears have an acute sense of smell. He can follow the Earth King's trail."

"Well then what are we waiting for?" Toph was on her feet. "Bosco, find your master," she ordered.

The Bear looked at her, tilting his head questioningly. He then plopped down on his hind quarters and began playing with his feet.

"He doesn't understand me," Toph complained.

"Oh, he understands," Ying interjected. "He's just being lazy."

Iroh snapped his fingers. "I have an idea!" He started bustling about the kitchen, humming to himself. When he came back, he was carrying a small tea cup.

"I don't think now is the time for tea, Uncle," Zuko commented.

"Not for me. For the bear."

"How's tea going to help that bear find us."

"The leaves in this tea are a natural stimulant. One taste of this will give him the energy of four bears." He approached Bosco. "Bottoms up."

With that, he poured the lukewarm tea down the bear's throat. Bosco smacked his lips, annoyed at having this foreign substance suddenly inserted into his mouth. Then his stomach began swishing. The next thing anyone knew, he was on his feet, his ears perked up and his nose twitching.

"Wow, that tea sure works fast," said Toph. She focused her attention on the bear. "Bosco." At the sound of his name, the bear perked up even more. "Find your master."

The bear began sniffing the air furiously, and off he went.

"Wait," Zuko shouted, and everyone (including Bosco) momentarily paused. "Who's going to look after Mai?"

"I'll do it," came a small voice from the corner. Everyone turned to see Jin standing there, sheepishly. "I was working late, doing some last minute cleaning," she explained.

_"How much did you hear of my discussion with Toph,"_ Zuko hissed under his breath.

_"Nearly everything," _she replied. _"By the way, who's Katara?" _Zuko shrugged her off.

Jin turned her attention to the rest of the group. "I'll look after Mai while the rest of you look for the Earth King."

Iroh nodded. "Good. We don't have much time."

Zuko gave Jin one last look before heading out the door. He wondered if Mai was _truly_ in good hands here. Not that Jin would do anything … in fact, he was more worried about what _Mai_ would do to_ her_.

But he couldn't worry about that now.

He hurried after his comrades.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The Earth King's trail led them deep into the underground crystal catacombs beneath Ba Sing Se. Zuko had a sinking feeling as he returned here. This was where he had betrayed Uncle and joined Azula in her onslaught against the Avatar – against Aang. He spared a glance over at his Uncle, hoping the old man had forgotten the event.

The journey deep into the catacombs took nearly fifteen minutes, but Bosco's pace began to quicken. "I think he's found something," Toph exclaimed. They hurried to keep pace with the animal.

There – deep in the caverns sat the Earth King, his hands and feet bound and his head lowered. Toph ran over to him. "Your Majesty!" She unfastened his bindings. "Are you okay?" He didn't respond. "Your Majesty?"

"Surprise!"

The "Earth King's" head shot up. It wasn't the Earth King at all. It was a Dai Li agent dressed as the Earth King. Bosco had only picked up the scent of the Earth King's clothing, which the Dai Li had been sporting.

With a cry of fury, Toph Earthbended the agent far across the room, knocking him out cold.

Suddenly, the room was awash in laughter. They all looked up to see Long Feng standing on an alcove thirty feet above them, flanked by two more Dai Li agents. The Dai Li agents punched their fists forward, causing a cave-in behind the group, blocking their escape.

Long Feng was ecstatic. "Wonderful. You've all fallen into my trap! With you out of the way, there'll be nothing to stop me from taking over the city. By tomorrow, the Earth King will have stepped down and appointed me the new king!"

"You forgot one thing, Loser Feng," Toph catcalled. "You can't trap an Earthbender underground!"

"Something that I've taken into account, rest assured. For the past week, my Dai Li agents and I have been at work, coating all of these underground chambers with a wood-like substance. The floor, the ceiling the walls – all now covered with a wooden exterior. You can't bend wood, as you yourself admitted. There's no escape for you. Now if you'll excuse me, I must get ready for my coronation." He and his bodyguards vanished into the darkness.

Toph, meanwhile, was busy trying to bend the walls, the floor, anything. Finally, she sighed. "It's no use. We're trapped. We're going to die down here."

"Giving up," Iroh commented. "That doesn't sound like the Toph I know."

"Yea, well, usually I can bend my out of these sticky situations."

"There's still hope for us, Toph," Zuko agreed. He looked up at the ceiling. "It's in Mai and Jin's hands now."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Toph sighed.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

_Again, sorry about the long update times guys. I've been really busy, but with school letting out, I should be able to focus more attention on this story. R&R please =)._


	9. Chapter 9: The Tears of Enma

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

...

Book 4:

Air

Chapter nine:

The Tears of Enma

...

"There it is – the Northern Air Temple!" Aang relished the feeling of nostalgia as they approached the temple. They could already see many dots floating above the spires – the Mechanist's people, riding on their gliders. Seeing it gave Aang a warm feeling in his stomach. Even though his people were gone, it was comforting to know that parts of his culture were still preserved.

As they drew nearer to the towering spires, a group of gliders encircled them. The leader flew up alongside them, waving. Teo's face was aglow with a warm smile. He motioned for the other gliders to give the Avatar a full escort to the entrance of the Temple.

After alighting at the Temple's entry, Teo immediately bombarded them with questions. "Aang! Watcha doing here? What's been going on since the end of summer?"

Aang was pleased to see the boy. Even though he was handicapped, Teo had still managed to make the best of the situation; in fact, he could fly a glider just as well as any Air Nomad.

"We're here because we're looking for any clues that might lead us to a new air temple," he explained. "We've found parts of a map, and now we're exploring all the temples to find the other pieces.

Teo's eyebrows seemed to rise. "Oh … that's … _quite a coincidence._"

Aang was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

Teo motioned for them to follow alongside him. "Over the past few weeks, my father has been busy excavating this temple even further than he ever had before. Since the summer, he found several hidden sublevels underground. At first we thought they were just sewers or something … but when my father excavated deeper, we found several rooms blocked off. And there was some very interesting stuff inside."

Sokka's curiosity had been piqued. "What kind of stuff?"

"Relics and other artifacts dating back to the ancient Air Nomads. There were old gliders, Pai Sho sets and lots and lots of books. We gathered as much as we could and brought them to my father's lab so he could study them."

"Did he find a map?" Aang's voice dripped with anxiousness.

Teo nodded. "Several. Most were intact maps of nearby islands, the Northern Water Tribe … but there was one in particular … it appeared to have been torn from a larger map. I'm supposing that's the one you're looking for."

"It's gotta be," Aang exclaimed.

Katara's face lit up. "Then we're that much closer to finding your people, Aang."

Teo sighed as he pulled open the door to his father's study. "Well … there's kind of a snag there…" His voice trailed off.

"Snag?" Aang certainly didn't like the sound of that.

"My father will explain more."

They entered the laboratory to find all kinds of gizmo's and doohickeys strewn about the floor. Leaflets of parchment were scattered across tables. Sokka thought he detected the familiar scent of rotten eggs.

A small explosion came from a corner, causing all of them to jump in surprise. The Mechanist was flat on his back, his face covered with soot and smoke rising from the table he had been working at. "Darn … and I was so sure those were the right ingredients."

Aang and Teo rushed forward to help the man up. "I'm alright, I'm alright," the Mechanist said, brushing himself off. His eyes lit up upon seeing Aang, Sokka, Katara and Momo.

"The Avatar? Well, this is a pleasant surprise indeed! And Sokka … I've a few new inventions I'd love for you to check out!"

Teo interrupted his jubilee. "Father. They're here for the map."

At this, the Mechanist knitted his eyebrows, and the corners of his lips sagged downward. "Oh." He cleared his throat and pulled at his collar. "Sit down." Aang had never heard this much seriousness in the older man's voice. "We have a lot to discuss…"

...

Mai and Jin stared harshly at each other from opposite sides of the table. Iroh and the others had not returned that night, so the shop had remained closed for the rest of the day. So Jin made a pot of tea for her and Mai and now they were "enjoying" it together.

Well, "enjoying" isn't really the proper word.

It was the tensest tea party ever. "I'm sure Zuko and the others will be back soon," Jin commented politely.

Mai only nodded. She slowly raised the cup to her lips and sipped. Then she resumed her staring.

Jin felt even more awkward than when she had gone on her date with Zuko. So, she tried to break the tension with polite small talk.

"So … what's it like dating the Fire Lord?"

"Yea, wouldn't you like to know," was Mai's gruff reply.

Jin gulped and nervously played with her hair. "Would you like some cake … I have some cake." Mai shrugged merely stared at her. Those icy eyes were making her more and more uneasy. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."

Jin returned with two pieces of cake. "Enjoy," her voice cracked. Mai continued to stare.

Jin nervously drummed her finger on the table. "So … how's your cake?"

"Moist," was Mai's dry reply.

Jin nodded, trying to keep up the conversation. "Yea … the tea is quite moist too." Her voice trailed off.

Mai just rolled her eyes.

A few more moments of awkward silence.

"So I'm sure Zuko and the others will be back soon," Jin repeated.

Mai's eyes were now narrowed down to slits. Jin continued to wither under her unnerving gaze.

"I'll bet you anything that they've found the Earth King by now," Jin continued. "Yea, that's it. They're all probably having a good laugh about all this right now."

...

"I can't take this anymore!" Zuko's voice howled throughout the catacombs. "I have to get out of here!"

"Calm down, Sparky." Toph was sitting cross-legged, her chin resting on her hands. "Freaking out won't help us escape."

Zuko was frantic now. "Is it me, or is it getting hotter in here?" He was pacing back and forth now. "And the walls – the walls are closing in on us! Doesn't anybody else see the walls?"

"What's wrong with him," Ying inquired.

"I think it's called a 'Freakout'," Iroh observed.

"That's it! I'm getting out now!" Zuko pulled both his fists back, gathering energy.

Suddenly Toph panicked. "Wait – don't!"

Too late. Zuko thrust his arms forward and a blaze of fire exploded from his fists, blasting towards the wood-covered walls.

The instant the flames began to lick the sides of the wall, Zuko was blown back by a detonation of fire. The walls quickly began to ignite into flames, which quickly spread. In a few moments, the walls were all ablaze with fervent heat. Bosco the bear roared in alarm.

"Quick," Iroh shrieked. "We have to put out the flames!" Along with Ying, the old man was able to use his bending to snuff out the flames before they got too widespread.

Zuko stood there, wide-eyed. "What happened?"

Iroh touched the walls. They were all glazed with some kind of sticky substance. Iroh rubbed it between his fingers before lifting it to his nose. "Blasting jelly."

Toph smacked her forehead. "I should have sensed it smeared all over the walls. Leave it to Long Feng to forget to mention that little detail."

Zuko rubbed his sinuses. "Sorry guys … I guess I just lost my cool."

"That's an understatement," smirked Toph.

"Losing our cool won't get us out of here," Iroh admonished.

Zuko slouched back into a seated position, his shaggy head down. "I don't think we _can_ get out of here."

...

Aang and the rest of the gang were crowded around as the Mechanist told his story. "So after finding that map piece among the rest of the excavations, I took it up here to examine it. As far as I could tell, it mapped out the North Pole … but it of course it was incomplete. I was fascinated by it, entranced night after night. I wanted to know what it was trying to show me.

"But then … _he_ came."

"Who was it," Aang asked.

Teo spoke up. "Last week. It was … the creepiest guy I've ever seen. He appeared to be from the Northern Water Tribe … but he wasn't like any I'd ever seen before. He spoke with a hiss … like some kind of reptile. And those eyes …" he shuddered. "They were the most frightening eyes I've ever seen. I've been having nightmares all week."

"What did he want," Katara queried.

"He was after the map piece," answered the Mechanist. "He seemed _really _desperate to get his hands on it, now that I think about it."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him that this was an invaluable piece of cultural history. I just couldn't part with it. He offered me a chest full of jewels … but this kind of archeology is far more valuable to me than any money. When I rebuffed him, he became_ very_ angry and stormed off. Then, last night in fact, someone breaks into my lab and they snag the map."

"He _stole_ it?" The indignation in Aang's voice was loud and clear. He slumped in his chair. "He could be anywhere with it."

"What would someone from the Northern Water Tribe want to get their hands on a map piece for?" Katara was confused. "It doesn't make sense." She looked to her boyfriend. "So now what?"

Aang stood up, staff in hand. "We hunt the thief down and get that map."

"But where do we start," Sokka asked. "He could be anywhere."

"He was from the Northern Water Tribe, correct," asked Aang. The Mechanist nodded. "Then that's where we'll start."

...

Sheer boredom had washed over those trapped in the Crystal Catacombs underneath Lake Laogai. Iroh tried meditating, Zuko and Toph paced in frustration, while Bosco picked bugs out of an annoyed Ying's scraggly hair.

"I can't take this," Zuko growled. "So what … do we just sit here and wait for death to take us?"

"Patience, Nephew," Iroh advised.

"Patience? How can I have patience in this situation?"

The old man exhaled slowly and shut his eyes even tighter. "Have you learned nothing during the time you chased the Avatar across the globe? Be patient, and in time, an opportunity will present itself."

Zuko bit his lip and struggled to keep his frustrations in check. "I just want -."

Before he could finish his sentence, an enormous explosion erupted from the other side of the cavern, blowing apart the wall.

Everyone stood there with shock etched across their faces. Toph was the first to recover from the surprise. "Wow. That 'patience' stuff sure works fast."

"But what caused that explosion?" Zuko couldn't help but wonder.

The answer came in the form of the Blue Spirit who appeared in the new "exit" that he had created. The costumed figure pointed one of his broadswords through the exit, motioning for them to hurry on through.

None of them needed much encouragement.

"We have to stop Long Feng before it's too late!"

Zuko hurried past the Blue Spirit. He stopped, preparing to thank him again for his timely rescue – but the Blue Spirit had vanished yet again.

...

When the Avatar gang arrived at the Northern Water Tribe that afternoon, they were greeted with a great tribal procession. Chief Arnook was the first to meet with them. "Avatar Aang and friends … welcome back, all of you."

"It's good to see you again, Chief Arnook," Aang answered.

Arnook smiled kindly at both Katara and Sokka. "And how are the Avatar's best friends," he asked.

"Fantastic," Katara grinned.

"Just _peachy_," was Sokka's sarcastic reply. In fact, Katara noted that he had been in a sour mood during the whole trip from the air temple.

Waving away the boy's mood, Arnook led the trio up to his tribal hall. "I'm afraid you've arrived during a strenuous time," the chief said.

"Don't worry," replied Aang. "We've been facing strenuous times for the past year."

"In a way, I'm relieved you're here, actually. We've been having sort of a … problem." Arnook led them past the tribal hall, and, to Aang's surprise, right to the Spirit Oasis.

The Spirit Oasis was the only warm location in the entire tribe, and it was here that two very special fish resided. They were not just fish – they were Tui and La, the Ocean and Moon Spirits.

Sokka lagged behind the group, arms folded. Katara now understood Sokka's bad mood. This was where one of the greatest tragedies in Sokka's life occurred…

"Why'd you bring us here, Chief Arnook," Aang inquired.

Arnook pointed at the koi pond, and the Airbender leaned over the edge. The two fish were swimming, but they seemed slow and lethargic. Both their fins swam limply, and they both seemed exhausted. In fact, they didn't look like they could swim much further.

"What's the matter with them?"

"I couldn't tell you," was Arnook's response. "They've been like this ever since the end of summer. Their swimming has gradually slowed down. The healers have no idea what's affecting them – but they believe that if something is not done, they might die."

"But if they die," Aang stated slowly, "then that means that both the Ocean and Moon Spirits will die."

"And the world will die with them," Katara gasped.

"Wait a minute!" Sokka suddenly interjected himself into the conversation. "The Moon Spirit's going to die?"

"I don't know," answered Aang. "Maybe … if something isn't done soon."

Sokka grabbed the monk by the shoulders and looked at him very seriously. "Aang … you have to save them. I've already watched Princess Yue die once … I won't watch her die again. Please. You have to do something Aang."

"But … I don't know the first thing … I mean, I don't even know what's hurting them!"

"Think," Sokka practically shouted.

Katara piped up. "Maybe … Maybe if you journeyed into the Spirit World, Avatar Roku or somebody may be able to help."

Aang shrugged. "It's worth a shot."

He sat down, knuckles together, eyes closed; and he breathed in deeply. After a few moments, he felt himself drift away into the Spirit World.

As Aang left his body, Katara noticed Sokka begin to get jittery, pacing restlessly back and forth. Finally, he spoke. "Hey, Katara … can you keep an eye on Aang. I just … I have a lot on my mind right now. I'm thinking a walk around the tribe will clear my head."

Katara shrugged. "Whatever. But don't lick any more frozen buildings!"

He grinned. "No promises!"

...

Cultural Heritage Day was in full swing. The streets of Ba Sing Se were filled with partygoers ready to enjoy the festivities. Street vendors took full advantage of them, jacking up their prices to unreasonable levels. Greasy foods were the order of the day.

It was in these crowded streets that Toph, Zuko, Iroh, Ying and Bosco now found themselves. They crawled up through the exit made by the Blue Spirit and had come up around Lake Laogai. The Blue Spirit had then vanished as fast as he appeared. The train taking everyone to the Upper Rings had been fully booked – but with one flash of the Bei Fong family crest, Toph had secured all of them first class seats.

So now they found themselves in the Upper Ring, jostled around by the thickening crowds. "We have to get to the Palace," Toph exclaimed.

"But how can we get through this crowd," Zuko asked. "We'll never get there."

"Leave that to me," Iroh said, a twinkle in his eye. He reached for Bosco's backside, and yanked out a fistful of fur. Bosco let out a booming roar, which sent people screaming in all directions. "Sorry, big fellow." Iroh consoled the poor bear. "But we have to save your master."

The group rushed through the newly formed path, as everyone desperately tried to give the bear a wide berth. As they reached the gates, they found themselves blocked by a wall of Earth Kingdom soldiers.

"Sorry, but no one is allowed beyond this point," one soldier said. Toph flashed him her family crest – it had no impact. "No one is permitted beyond this point," he repeated. Toph was struck by the fact that his voice seemed almost … _zombie_-like. It was like his brain had been fried.

"Oh no," she realized. "These guards – they've all been brainwashed."

A loud voice came from the crowd. "Look! The Earth King is going to give a speech!"

The crowd's noise died down as Earth King Kuei appeared on a balcony overhead. He held what appeared to be a megaphone in his hand. "Citizens of Ba Sing Se," he started out – and his voice had the same zombie-like quality to it.

"We're too late," Zuko lamented.

The Earth King continued speaking. "It is with great sorrow that I inform you that I must relinquish my responsibilities as Earth King. My health has been deteriorating, and I am not well enough to continue."

A murmur arose from the crowd. Toph tried screaming at the top of her lungs. "That's not true! He's been hypnotized! The Dai Li have hypnotized him!" Surprisingly, no one paid her any heed.

"Therefore," the brainwashed ruler continued, "I must allow my newly reappointed Secretariat, Long Feng, to take my place as Earth King until I am well enough to resume my responsibilities."

Long Feng appeared on the balcony, wearing splendid robes with the Earth Kingdom's colors. His hair had been done just so and he regally approached the balcony.

"Citizens of Ba Sing Se," Long Feng announced. "I promise you that I will do everything in my power to maintain the prosperity – and especially the culture – of our great city. That is what today is all about – our cultural heritage. Though it may pain some of us to see our beloved King Kuei step down, we must set our sights on the future – a future where all of you, right down to the refugees in the Lower Rings – will have bright and shining opportunities to make the most of who you are."

"That's a crock of baloney," Toph muttered. "By this time tomorrow he'll have them all working as slave labor in the fields while he and Ozai sit in the counting house rubbing their hands."

Zuko clenched his fist. "Someone has to stop this!" He took a step forward, preparing to unleash a burst of Firebending. His uncle's warm hand on his shoulder stopped.

"You can't. Not here, Zuko."

"You can't expect us to just sit back and let this happen, Uncle!"

"You have to. He has the military brainwashed and on his side. This place is also crawling with Dai Li. Besides, if you attack now, you may only endanger the Earth King."

"We have to come up with a plan," Ying suggested.

"Yea, a really kick butt plan," Toph agreed.

"We should get back to the Jasmine Dragon," Iroh said. "From there, we can plot a course of action. Besides, I bet Mai and Jin are worried sick."

"If Mai hasn't ripped Jin's throat open yet," Zuko mumbled.

Ying chuckled, but Toph merely shook her head. "He wasn't joking. If Jin is still conscious right now, it'd be a miracle."

...

When Aang awoke in the Spirit World, he immediately found himself surrounded by a brown bog. He recognized this part of the Spirit World, having visited it during the Fire Nation's siege of the Northern Water Tribe.

Nearby there was a monkey sitting cross-legged, meditating. Aang decided to avoid him – that spirit didn't particularly like being disturbed.

_"Aang."_

The voice had come from the creek. Aang peered over the edge of land, and the face of Avatar Roku appeared in the murky water.

_"Aang. I was wondering when you might return here."_

"Roku, I need your help," Aang said. "There's something wrong with the Ocean and Moon Spirits – they might be dying!"

The former Avatar nodded. _"I understand your concern Aang – but this is only the symptom of a graver problem."_

"A graver problem? What could be worse?"

_"Do you remember when I talked to you at the Eastern Air Temple? I warned you that there were wounds in the Spirit World. Holes forming between both worlds. The holes are growing larger, the wounds deeper. The other spirits and I are at a loss. We've never experience something like this – not in ten thousand years."_

"Somebody must know what's going on."

_"Now that you mention it … perhaps there _is_ someone."_

"Really? Who?"

_"Perhaps Koh, the Face Stealer will be of assistance."_

Aang felt his stomach sink. He really did not want hear that name again. "But  
Roku … maybe there's another spirit I can talk to."

_"I'm afraid not, Aang. Koh is the only spirit old enough to remember when the Moon and Ocean Spirits entered your world. Perhaps he knows what is afflicting them – and what is causing these spiritual holes."_

Aang gulped. "I have no choice then."

_"Remember Aang – you must not show any emotion, or Koh will steal your face!"_

...

Sokka stood on a bridge overlooking one of the many canals in the tribe. This was where Princess Yue had asked him to meet her for their "activity." He sighed as he remembered that this is where they had shared their first kiss as well.

Sokka flicked a pebble over the edge and listened to it plop into the water. He knew he should move on with his life. What would Suki think if she knew he was pining over an old love? She was jealous enough when Ty Lee flirted with him.

He couldn't help himself. He weighed Suki and Yue in his mind. Suki was bold, brash, a warrior. She was almost as gutsy as Toph, and she knew how to put Sokka in his place. She complimented his personality perfectly.

Yue, on the other hand, was very feminine. She was the epitome of womanhood. Sokka had been assigned to protect her. While he loved Suki's independent nature, he also couldn't help liking the fact that he could protect Yue. It made him feel like a hero.

And then he failed in his mission. Yue ended up sacrificing herself to save the Moon Spirit, and thus, became the Moon Spirit. And if the Moon Spirit died, what would become of Yue? Would she just fade away? He couldn't bear that thought.

His ruminations were cut short as he saw an unusual figure dart down the icy walkways. The figure was moving very suspiciously – he had a hood up and drawn around his face. He hid in an icy alleyway, and when he made sure the coast was clear, he darted out. He leapt across the canal with surprising agility. He clearly didn't want to be seen.

However, despite his best efforts to keep himself hidden, Sokka was able to watch his every move. And he immediately recognized the daredevil.

Sokka clenched his fists and grit his teeth. "Hahn." He nearly spat as his lips uttered the name. Hahn had been his biggest rival when he had last come here – and it was to him that Princess Yue had been engaged. Sokka disliked him from the very core of his being.

So that meant that Hahn absolutely _had_ to be up to no good.

Sokka decided that a little sleuthing might be in order.

...

"It's about time," an elderly voice cracked as Hahn entered a small igloo and removed his hood and scarf. Sokka, meanwhile, peered in through a window. He had to know what Hahn was up to. And who was this old woman?

"Yea, well you try staying unseen in this cesspool." Hahn collapsed himself into a seat at a wooden table. "I'm starving," he demanded.

A wooden bowl was tossed in front of him and his host plopped a thick goop into it. Hahn wrinkled his nose. "Don't you have something that's … I don't know, _actually food_?"

The old woman stood over him. "In my day, this was considered a gourmet meal!"

"Yea, well no wonder you look like an old sea prune. _Ouch!_"

The old woman had bopped him about the head with a wooden spoon. "No back talking. Now eat, before I _really_ loose my temper," she commanded.

Hahn rubbed his sore head. "Okay, okay … it was just a joke, no need to get so touchy, Hummus."

The old woman rubbed her eyes. "How many times must I tell you, my name is _Hama_?"

"That's what I said," Hahn shouted grouchily.

Sokka's eyes widened. _Hama! _The old witch who had taught Katara Bloodbending. He could feel his blood just curdling at the thought. He had to hear more. If Hama was with Hahn, that spelled bad news indeed.

Hahn took a bite of soup and nearly wretched. "I can't take living like this anymore," he growled. "I used to be next in line to be Chief! I would have gourmet meals every night, and the power – I would have absolute power over all these people!"

Steam practically shot from Sokka's ears. The only reason Hahn was interested in Yue was because she was the chieftain's daughter. Hahn wasn't even upset that she was gone – only upset because he wouldn't be chief.

Hahn continued with his rant. "But then the stupid Fire Nation had to come in and ruin everything!" He pounded his fist on the table for emphasis.

"Tell me about it," Hama sneered. "The Fire Nation kidnapped me from my home – and I'll never be able to go back there. If my people found out what I've become … Bloodbending was always a forbidden art down south."

"Are you two done complaining yet," came a third voice. Sokka mentally noted that this voice sounded almost like a _hiss_ – almost reptilian.

"Pythos," Hama said, and the revulsion in her voice was clear. "I didn't realize _you_ were in my house."

"Such hossspitality, Hama."

She turned and began stirring a pot. "Well at least _you_ can get my name right." Hahn stuck his tongue out at the back of her head.

Pythos exactly matched the Mechanist and Teo's description of the man who had been interested in the map piece. He was corpse pale, bald, and there was a certain slimy element to his skin. His one eye was milked over, as though he were blind – his other eye was just plain freaky. The pupil was a mere slit, almost like a cat's.

Pythos then turned to Hahn. "Did you procure the map, boy?"

Hahn smirked. "Sure did." He reached into his back pocket and withdrew a piece of parchment. Pythos' tongue flicked out with excitement. "Excccellent." He reached out to grab it, but Hahn snapped it out of his reach.

"Not yet. Where's my money?"

Frowning, Pythos tossed him a small, brown sack. Hahn opened it, examining the gold coins inside. Nodding, he handed the paper to the creepy man, who greedily unfolded it.

Sokka could tell from the window – it was the stolen map piece. _Hahn that jerk,_ he thought. _He's the one who stole it from the Mechanist._

"Good," Pythos continued. "The Master will be pleased."

"He better be," Hama snapped. "After having to put up with the likes of him!" She pointed her spoon at Hahn, who was leaning back in his chair picking his teeth.

"Don't worry," Pythos soothed. "The master will reward all of you. But enough chit-chat. It seems we have an intruder."

Hama stopped stirring. "An intruder."

The grin on Pythos' face grew wider. "Oh yesss; he's gazing in our window right now. Most likely he's heard everything. Let'sss make him feel welcome. I know! We could … _have him for dinner._" He licked his lips with a ravenous hunger.

Sokka gulped as he heard scrambling from inside. He turned to run, but found that his feet had been frozen into the ice. Hama bended more ice, causing it to crawl up his arms and chest. She lowered her arms to get a look at his face.

_"You!"_

"Wait …" Hahn was the next one outside. "Sodo?"

"It's _Sokka_!"

"Whatever."

"You two know him," Pythos inquired.

"Yea," responded Hama. "You'll usually find him dangling from the arm of the Avatar."

A gleam appeared in Pytho's reptilian eye, and his mouth opened in a wide grin. "The Avatar's friend. My, my, fate is sssmiling on us today."

"What should we do with him," Hahn asked.

"All in good time," Pythos leered. "Place him in the cellar for now. I can have a little … _fun_ with him later."

Hama nudged Hahn and spoke loud enough for Sokka to hear. "You know what that means?"

A smirk edged around Hahn's face. "Yea." He looked at Sokka. "Just to warn you … Pythos likes to play with his food."

...

Aang walked through the enormous tree. "Hello? Koh, are you home?"

He heard skittering, as though dozens of insect-like feet were crawling around the ceiling. Then, suddenly, a large centipede like creature dropped down from above, attempting to startle the young Avatar. Aang immediately cleared his face of any trace of emotion.

Koh stood before Aang, encircling him. _"Ah, so the Avatar returns to my humble abode. I knew that we would meet again sometime soon – I just didn't expect it to be this soon."_

"Koh." Aang bowed respectfully. "I need your help. The Ocean and Moon Spirits are dying."

_"And I surmise that your previous incarnations can offer you no support."_ Aang merely shook his head. Koh changed his face to that of an owl, gazed up at the ceiling. _"As you know, the Ocean and Moon Spirits – Tui and La – share an eternal dance with each other. Push and pull. They are the essence of balance – the moon pulls against the tide, as the tide pushes against the moon."_ He brought his gaze to Aang, examining for any trace of an expression.

None.

So Koh continued. _"Tui and La are an example of the greater balance in the universe. You, as the Avatar, have the duty to maintain balance between our world and the Spirit World – but this was not always so."_

"I don't understand."

Koh's face changed yet again – this time to that of a young man. _"The Avatar Spirit is not whole, Aang. Not anymore. Millennia ago, there were two spirits known as Yin and Yang. Yin was the spirit of peace, serenity, good. Yang was the spirit of chaos, destruction, evil. Together, the two balanced each other out, much like Tui and La."_

"So the one – Yin – is good and Yang is evil."

_"Correct. Tui and La were not the first spirits to assume a physical form in your world, Aang. Yin and Yang had done it centuries before. But they didn't take the form of mere koi fish. No, they became a far more complex creature."_

Somehow, Aang knew what they were. "They became human."

_"Yes. Yin decided that he would balance the Spirit World and the physical world. Yang decided that he would destroy both worlds. The two fought for centuries, and the rest of the spirits believed that this fight would continue for eternity. They could not destroy Yang, so they sealed him away in a comet."_

"Sozin's Comet."

_"Precisely. Trapped in Sozin's Comet, he could do no more harm to the world. Yin then became the spirit of the universe, incarnate in a human body."_

"The Avatar."

_"Yes. You are Yin, Aang. As the Avatar, you are the spirit of balance."_

"But what does this have to do with the Ocean and Moon Spirits."

_"Patience, young Avatar. For thousands of years, the Avatar Cycle continued. Yang was patient; he knew that one day he would be able to break free and incarnate as a human again. As the spirit of balance, you were supposed to keep him from breaking free. But then you disappeared in an iceberg for a hundred years. Over the past century, he grew stronger and stronger until, a little over a decade ago, he incarnated as a human being."_

"And that's bad," Aang commented.

_"Yin and Yang are twins, Avatar. They share the same core traits. Yin, the balancer, the Avatar, master of all four elements. And Yang, the destroyer; the Avatar's evil twin."_

"A Dark Avatar," Aang sighed.

_"Very good. Yang has come to be known as the Dark Avatar; your evil twin."_

"But Yang – this Dark Avatar – how serious can this be? I mean, it's not like he can master all four elements can he?"

A smile danced on Koh's face. _"Oh, you have no idea what how bad it can get. Not only can the Dark Avatar master all four elements, but he has full access to the Spirit World – as well as a Dark Avatar State. Oh, things will become very hairy for you indeed. You see, balance can only be maintained as long as Yang was sealed away. But if he masters all four elements, as well as the Dark Avatar State, he can obliterate the balance between the worlds. The holes Avatar Roku told you about – they are the symptoms of Yang's presence in the world. Tui and La's spiritual force is fading as Yang's is growing. With all the holes forming between the worlds, they find it difficult to stay in this world and the Spirit World."_

"But … if the Dark Avatar is on earth now, how come he hasn't revealed himself yet?"

_"The Dark Avatar knows not of true identity. As with the Avatar Spirit, his spirit forgets his past life the moment he enters a baby. But when Sozin's Comet returned last summer, his host began to awaken to his powers. Since then, he's been growing steadily stronger. The way I see it, you have until the Autumnal Equinox – then, the world as you know it will be gone. Unless you can defeat the Dark Avatar and seal Yang away again."_

"But how can I stop the Dark Avatar if I don't even know who he is."

_"Patience. Keep searching for the fifth air temple; I'm certain that along the way, the Dark Avatar will reveal himself to you."_

"But how will I recognize him?"

_"Look for a person with no morals. A person that revels in death and destruction. An individual with no moral compass – one that has no more sense of right and wrong than a tree stump."_

Aang struggled to keep up his emotionless appearance. This revelation of a Dark Avatar – a rival – was too much to bear. _First I had to defeat the Fire Lord before Sozin's Comet – now I have to defeat this Dark Avatar before the Autumnal Equinox. _And of course, he was the lucky one to have to deal with it all.

And here he was hoping for a nice trip with Katara to all four temples with the possibility of discovering some Air Nomads.

"But what about the Ocean and Moon Spirits? They may not have until the Autumnal Equinox."

"_I'll let you in on a little secret,"_ said Koh. _"There is a spirit that resides nearby named Enma. It is said that his tears can instantly connect one to the Spirit World. If you harvest some of his tears, and pour them into the koi fish pond, it will temporarily help Tui and La maintain their connection to the Spirit World."_

"And where do I find this Enma?"

_"You saw him meditating earlier."_

_That old sourpuss monkey? And I'm supposed to make him _cry_? _Aang suppressed a look of shock mingled with doubt and he bowed to the centipede-like spirit. "Thank you once again Koh." He turned to leave, but Koh was going to have the last word.

_"A word of caution, young Avatar. Just because you are Yin, the good spirit, does not mean you are infallible. Many an Avatar have fallen in the past … especially Avatar Ko-Rei. You are no different."_

_Avatar Ko-Rei? _Aang had heard that name before. He stopped to ask the spirit about it, but Koh had slithered back into the darkness.

...

When Sokka regained consciousness, he awoke to find himself bound with rope to a chair. He heard voices coming from upstairs.

"This is a ssstroke of luck," Pythos was saying. "The Avatar is here. The master will be pleased if we capture him. We must do it tonight."

"Why tonight," came Hahn's voice.

"Tonight is a full moon," explained Pythos. "Hama's Bloodbending will be an invaluable asset tonight."

_They're going after Aang, _Sokka thought. _And with him in the Avatar Spirit and just Katara watching him, he'll be easy pickings. Oh, it's just like last Winter._

He struggled against his bindings. Now Sokka was usually able to undo knots, but these were Northern Water Tribe style knots. Their knots were unusually very tight and complex – far above his aptitude.

Five minutes of struggling, and Sokka gave up, exhausted.

Above, the voices continued talking. "I say we move now," Hama murmured. There was an agreement with the other two and Sokka heard footsteps moving towards the front door.

"Wait a minute," Pythos said suddenly. "You wait with our captive."

"Me," Hahn exclaimed. "Why do I have to stay?"

"Because someone needs to watch him, and you, not being a Bender, are the logical option." The door closed above them, and Sokka heard Hahn curse. Then he heard footsteps coming downstairs, and the cellar door being unlatched. Sokka lowered his head and pretended to be unconscious.

"You're not fooling anyone." Sokka opened one eye to see Hahn smirking at him. Hahn violently smacked him across the face. "You stupid peasant! Why didn't you protect her?"

"What do you mean?"

"Princess Yue. Chief Arnook made you her guardian. So why is she dead?"

"How touching Hahn. Don't tell me you actually _felt_ something for her."

"Fool. Like I told you before, marrying her would have scored me major points with the chief. But now that's all been ruined. Now she's dead and I'll never be chief."

Sokka could barely keep his temper under control. "You're still an arrogant jerk! It's just that now, you're peasant just like me! A nobody!"

"Well that's all going to change. In case you haven't noticed, my 'friends' are pretty well connected. That snake guy in particular – he hasn't told Hummus this, but he has some nice contacts in the Fire Nation – as well as an ally in the Spirit World. I'll be chieftain yet."

"Yea, in your dreams, Hahn."

Hahn smirked. "Funny you should speak of dreams, Socko. Because that's the only place you'll ever see Princess Yue again."

Sokka let out a horrible shriek and tried to tear himself out of the chair, but the tight cords kept him bound. He fell flat on his side, chair and all.

"Guess I really touched a nerve there? You must have really had it bad for her. Either way, she still would have been mine. Yue and I were betrothed, and she wasn't about to throw away our royal customs for a peasant like you. Don't worry, I would have made sure you were invited to _our_ wedding." A nasty grin was spreading across Hahn's face. "You would have sat right up front where you would be able to see everything – including our first kiss as husband and wife."

Sokka's face was beet red and it was a struggle to keep his emotions in check. Hahn gave him a vicious kick to the head before back starting upstairs.

...

_"Go away."_ The monkey spirit known as Enma sat with his eyes closed, meditating.

"Come on," Aang whined. "Just _one_ tear. That's all I need."

_"I told you – go away!"_

"Please?"

_"Go away."_

"Pretty please?"

_"Go away."_

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

_"I told you GO AWAY!"_

"I'll only go away when I get one of your tears."

The monkey opened one of his eyes. Aang was standing there, lip pouted out and eyes big. Enma sighed. _"If I agree, then will you go away?"_ Aang nodded enthusiastically. _"Okay. So … make me cry."_

Aang tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I know! How about a sad story? Like the story of Oma and Shu and their forbidden love?"

_"I was there in person when it happened,"_ Enma replied dryly. _"I thought it quite hilarious."_

The Air Nomad was dumbfounded.

_"Face it kid, you're never going to make me cry. You'll be better off just quitting right now."_

"Oh, you don't know how persistent I can be."

"_This is going to be a long day,"_ Enma moaned.

...

Dusk had come upon the Northern Water Tribe as Katara sat bored with Momo in the Spirit Oasis. Aang's body, predictably, had not moved so much as a muscle, Sokka was gone and Katara was left with nothing to do. Momo didn't seem as frisky as usual, either. The little critter just lay on his back, half asleep.

That is, until, a jet of water blasted at them from above. Katara was on her feet instantly as the oddest man she had ever seen in her life leaped down from above. With a wave of his hand, more water streamed at the girl.

Katara dove out of the way as the man's hand reached for Aang. Righting herself, Katara's water whip attack knocked the lizard man's hand aside.

"Who are you," she demanded. "What do you want with Aang."

"Hello Katara," came a voice from behind her. "How is my favorite little Bloodbender?"

Loathing crossed Katara's face as she whirled around. "Hama!"

"Give up, girlie," Pythos warned. "It's two against one."

"You're still at a disadvantage," she quipped. In a split second, Katara was in the air. As she landed, she made ramp of ice, which she slid off of, going even further up into the air. As she landed, she knocked Pythos aside with more water, before her hand settled on Aang's collar. She raised her free hand up into a defensive posture.

"No one is touching Aang," she warned.

Pythos snorted. "You can't fight and protect him at the same time. Face it, girlie, you're out of your element, so to speak."

_"Aang," _Katara whispered. _"What are you doing in there?"_

...

_"Look kid, we've been at this for fifteen minutes now. If you haven't made me cry, you're not going to do it period."_

Aang rubbed his chin. "How about this?" He pulled out a clump of Enma's fur.

_"Yeowch! What'd you do that for,"_ he muttered, rubbing the sore spot.

"Dang," Aang replied. "I was sure that would've worked."

_"Yea, well, if you had any hair on your head, I'd pluck all of it out just to see how you like it!"_

"Come on," Aang implored. "There's got to be something that'll make you cry."

"_Face it, kid, you're up against the immoveable object."_

"Maybe if I pull out some more hair…"

Enma backed up, arms in front of him to ward the monk off. "_Don't even think about it, kid."_

Aang snapped his fingers. "Wait a minute – I have an idea." He took a deep breath, and when he released it, his voice carried on for miles. "HEI BAI!"

_"Hei Bai,"_ protested Enma. _"Why are you calling Hei Bai? There's no need to involve him."_

As if on cue, a panda appeared from the bog. Aang pointed at Hei Bai. "You know what to do."

The spirit suddenly transformed into a large, hideous beast before letting out a loud shriek right into Enma's face.

Enma was blown clean off his feet and he landed with a thud. Sitting up, the monkey waved his in front of his face. _"Gross. What do you feed that thing? That breath is absolutely diabolical!"_

And there – a lone tear trailed down the monkey's face from the sheer grossness of Hei Bai's halitosis. Producing a small vial, Aang ran up to the monkey and collected it. "Gotcha!"

_"Fantastic,"_ Enma grunted. "_May I go back to meditating now?"_

"Sure thing," Aang responded. "Thanks you guys!" He then entered the portal back to the physical realm.

_"Good riddance,"_ Enma commented.

Hei Bai blasted him in the face with more halitosis.

...

Sokka lay on his side, attached to the chair, in sheer hopelessness. He was trapped with no way of helping his sister or Aang. For the past hour, he had been struggling with his bindings to no avail. So here he lay, with the right side of his face in the dirt.

_If only Gran Gran could see me now._

The next thing Sokka was aware of was the fact that he could no longer feel the ropes cutting into his arms and ankles.

_Great, now my circulation's been cut off._

But no – he was able to move his arms and legs now. He sat up, realizing that he had been freed from the chair. But how?

He stood up, and saw something that shocked him out of his skin.

It was for a fleeting second, but he could have sworn he saw Princess Yue.

He didn't have time to mull it over. He _had_ to get to that Spirit Oasis!

...

Hahn decided to go check on his prisoner. Humming to himself, he hurried down the stairs to the cellar.

When he got there, all he found was an empty chair with untied cords.

"What the…?"

As Hahn turned around, he was batted across the head with a soapy frying pan. He was unconscious before he even hit the ground.

"Yea," Sokka laughed. "Don't be starting what you can't finish, punk!"

Noticing the empty chair and rope, Sokka got a devious idea…

When Han awoke, he found himself tied down to a chair, the ropes tied extra tight around his wrists and ankles.

"Are you serious," was his comment.

...

Katara was at her wit's end. Typically, she would have been able to handle Pythos and Hama on her own, but now that she had to protect Aang, things had become that much more complicated. Not only that, but night had fallen.

The full moon shone from behind the clouds.

Hama could feel the immense power the moon gave her. "Katara, if you won't give up the Avatar, I will _make_ you give him up." Her outstretched hand contorted into a claw. Katara felt her blood being manipulated; she was being turned into a puppet from the inside out.

"No," she whimpered. She was forced to let go of Aang and could only watch in horror as Pythos grabbed the boy's collar and lifted him off the ground by the scruff of his neck.

"All too easy," he chuckled.

That is, until a boomerang struck him across the hand. "Aagh," he said with shock, dropping the boy at his feet. He whirled around to see Sokka catch his returning boomerang.

"How? That boy was supposed to be watching you!"

"Who? Hahn?" Sokka could barely contain his smirk. "Let's just say he's a little _tied up_ right now."

"Don't think this will even the odds boy."

Hama moved her hands like a demented puppeteer, and on cue, Katara's body jerked around like a puppet. Hama forced Katara's body to charge Sokka, arms outstretched.

"Aaw, come on! Not again!" Sokka rolled out of the way to avoid his sister's attacks.

Pythos calmly sauntered over to Aang's unconscious body, his snakelike eye gleaming with triumph.

The problem was, Aang had regained consciousness. It took him only a moment to realize what was happening around him before Pythos was blown off his feet by some swift Airbending.

Aang pounded his fist into the ground, bending the earth beneath Hama. The old woman struggled to maintain her balance, but the moment's diversion allowed Katara to regain control of her body.

The trio then began advancing on the villainous duo. Pythos took his place at Hama's side. "Fools," she snickered. "Do you think this will change anything? You forget, I can Bloodbend more than one person at once."

At that moment, Aang and Sokka lost control of their bodies. The two of them were forced to charge at Katara, bodies moving violently. Hama was laughing. "Bloodbend Katara! It's the only way to save them!" Pythos watched with faint amusement.

No, she couldn't. She couldn't dare repeat that vile, degrading, sick technique – but if she didn't, she and her friends were all done for. Closing her eyes and letting out a sickened shout, Katara managed to Bloodbend Hama once again.

"Very good Katara," Hama commented as she was forced to her knees. "You'll be a Bloodbender yet."

Ignoring her words, Katara focused on Pythos, Bloodbending him as well. While she was successful, she noticed a difference between his blood and Hama's. It was cold and clammy feeling.

The battle was over – for now. Sokka pointed at Pythos as he acknowledged Aang. "He's the one who has the map piece."

"Well go get it," Katara ordered.

"Eew, I'm not touching the gross guy," Sokka protested. "He's all … slimy."

Aang rolled his eyes. "I'll do it." Aang closed his eyes and reached his fingers into the man's pocket, doing his best to make as little physical contact as he could. He felt around the pocket, feeling all kinds of icky things. Ah, there it was! The map piece.

Aang pulled it out, opening it right up. "Awesome," he said cheerfully. "Just one more piece and we can find the fifth air temple!"

Just then, the door to the Spirit Oasis was busted open and several guards barged in. "What's going on in there," they demanded.

"It sounded like a fight was occurring."

"It was those two," Katara answered. "They were trying to kidnap the Avatar!"

Hama growled as she was led away by the guards. "Not again!"

Pythos, however, was not one to go quietly. As the guards dragged him away underneath the arms, he suddenly dropped a pellet on the ground, which enveloped all of them in a thick, foul smelling smoke.

When the smoke cleared, the two guards were holding nothing but air. Pythos was gone, managing to slither his way out of their grip and into nothing but thin air.

Aang had the feeling he wasn't gone for good.

"Find him," the other guards yelled, the pair of dumbfounded troops took off after the snakelike Waterbender. The others led Hama off to a prison cell.

"Don't forget about Hahn," Sokka yelled after them. "And remember, he doesn't like light or large rooms, so give him the darkest, smallest, most cramped cell you have!"

Aang suddenly realized what he was supposed to be doing. "Oh right." He rushed over to the koi pond and dropped Enma's tear into it. There was a bright bluish glow which illuminated the pond for a bare second. Then the pond returned to its calm, silent, rippling self.

But Aang could tell there was a definite change. The two fish-spirits began swimming with new vigor. But the victory was bittersweet – temporary.

And Pythos was not the only enemy that remained at large. The Dark Avatar was out there, somewhere, Aang knew – biding his time, gently moving the pieces into place to prepare for his appearance on the world stage.

He would have to remain on the lookout.

...

Sokka lay down in a specialized mat in the Chieftain's Hall. Arnook had given Aang and Sokka a wonderfully warm bedroom together, while Katara had her own private suite. Right now, Sokka just wanted to relax and drift off to sleep.

Of course, his mind was elsewhere. He knew he had seen Princess Yue earlier that day. He knew deep down that she had saved him from the clutches of Hahn. Or, maybe it was just what he wanted to believe.

Sokka flipped unto his back, staring at the ceiling.

And that was where he saw something unusual.

The ethereal form of Princess Yue hovered before him. She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, before vanishing into the night.

Sokka smiled back.

He would sleep well tonight.

...


	10. Chapter 10: The DoubleCross

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

…

Book 4:

Air

Chapter ten: The Double-Cross

…

"Here we are … the Western Air Temple." The group had been traveling for several days since their visit to the North Pole. Aang had had enough weirdness looking for these crazy map pieces, and he just hoped that this trip would go smoothly. No Bloodbenders, no thieves or whatever other weirdoes there were in the world.

_Just let this trip be easy._

Of course, now they had a timetable to deal with. If Koh was right, the Dark Avatar would be waiting to make his move when they found the fifth air temple. And if he wasn't defeated by the Autumnal Equinox … well, let's not think about that right now.

"Oh good, we're here," Sokka yawned as he lazily slid off of Appa's back. He stretched furiously as he gazed at his surroundings. "Yup, nothing's changed."

The Western Air Temple was just as they left it. The group had stayed here several weeks ago after the failed invasion of the Fire Nation during the Day of Black Sun.

"So where should we start looking," Katara asked.

Aang shrugged. "If I remember the layout of this place, there's a library two levels below. If the Air Monks hid the map piece here, that's probably where it is."

…

Aang sat at a desk in the library, his head on the tabletop, his eyes bloodshot and tired. "We've been searching for two hours," he murmured. "And no sign of it anywhere."

Katara snorted. "Well my fingers are getting all calloused thumbing through all these books."

Sokka woke up from the nap he was taking on the floor. "Find anything yet," he mumbled.

"No," growled Katara. "Maybe if you helped us, we might find it faster."

"I _am_ helping," protested Sokka. "It's not my fault that rifling through papers bores me and puts me to sleep."

Katara rubbed her temples in frustration. "I can't believe you're _actually _complaining. After everything we went through at the North Pole, I'd think you'd be happy to be doing something non-dangerous for once."

"You call looking through papers 'non-dangerous'? Look at all the paper cuts I've gotten." He shoved his fingers in her face.

"Eew, get your stinky hands out of my face. I haven't seen you wash them once today!"

Sokka shrugged. "Whatever. I gotta go to the bathroom, I'll be right back."

"Hurry up," his sister called after him. "And be sure to wash your gross hands!"

…

Sokka stood on a ledge outside the temple. The entire structure had been built inside of a giant crater, the edge of which Sokka had decided to relieve himself on. Momo, bored with Katara and Aang, decided to join him.

"No peeking," the warrior boy warned the lemur.

Sokka fixed his pants, humming gently to himself. He was about to turn around and return inside the temple when a searing fireball blasted the ground just inches from where he stood.

"What the …?" Sokka scrambled out of the way as another jet of fire shot his way. He looked up and gasped as a Fire Nation airship hovered above. Dozens of Imperial Firebenders were grappling from the ship to the temple and they immediately surrounded him.

"You're under arrest," one Firebender growled behind his mask.

"What? But I'm a friend of Fire Lord Zuko. You can't just -."

"Fire Lord Zuko is no longer on the throne."

"What do you mean?"

"I think I can adequately explain it to him," said a cold voice – one that sent shivers up his spine. Sokka could only stare in horror as the Imperial Firebenders parted to make room for the speaker, who addressed Sokka with an arrogant smirk.

"Azula," he stammered.

The Fire Princess cackled. "I knew that you and your peasant sister would show up here with the Avatar sooner or later."

"Azula! What's going on? I thought you were locked away in the wacky-shack!"

Azula clenched her fist. She didn't like to talk about her … _trip_ to the Fire Nation's mental asylum. So she had a complete breakdown, so what? She was as sane as ever now. "Let's just say that the Fire Nation has gone through some _major _improvements since you left."

"I don't understand."

Azula laughed in his face. "Dear little Zuzu is in exile all over again. Soon my father will be ruler of this world – and I shall be Fire Lord."

Sokka grit his teeth. "You won't get away with this! Aang will stop you and him – again!"

"I highly doubt that. You see, my father has recently taken an interest in these air temples. Particularly the legendary 'fifth air temple.'"

Sokka gulped. So they knew. "What could your father possibly want with this air temple?"

"Nothing really. He just wishes to find out if any Airbenders survived the purges a hundred years ago. If they have, they've probably been reproducing like vermin. And like any vermin, we must stamp them out."

"So Ozai's going to kill any Airbenders left?"

Azula's lips curled into a sadistic grin. "Now you're getting it. I will find any remaining Air Nomads – and I will finish what Fire Lord Sozin started. And it won't just end with them, either. Earthbenders, Waterbenders – we'll rid this world completely of their filth, until only Firebenders reign supreme."

"You're insane," he shouted. "How can you even justify mass genocide?"

"Genocide? Please." And here she started laughing. "I mean … it's not like we'll actually be killing anything of value."

Sokka could barely contain his temper. Azula was inching closer to him. "I can see that you're becoming furious." She drew close to him, so that they were face to face. He stared into those cold, soulless eyes. "You must really want to kill me, don't you peasant?" She spread her arms wide. "Well here I am. Come at me!"

The warrior clenched his fist in frustration. Azula was baiting him. She wanted him to attack her. And he knew the moment he did, he would be facing a jet of blue flames.

Azula watched as his shoulders relaxed. "I knew it. You're not man enough to strike me. But I can strike you. I can crush you as easily as a bug. Here, I'll give you a demonstration!"

She began waving her arms, attempting to separate her positive and negative chi. Once enough energy was built up, Sokka knew that a bolt of lightning would be heading straight for his gut.

Azula never got the chance to strike. Momo suddenly swooped in and landed directly on Azula's face, blocking her vision. "Aargh," she screeched. "Get this thing off of me!"

An Imperial Firebender moved to pluck the lemur off the Princess, but Momo detached himself and glided up into the air once more.

"Momo," Sokka shouted. "Get help! Get Aang and Katara!"

The plucky little lemur chatted something, then flew towards the entrance of the temple.

"Don't let that disgusting creature escape," Azula snarled. One of the Firebenders took off, following the lemur back inside. She turned to face Sokka. "And you -."

But Sokka was already in action. With a flick of his wrist, his boomerang soared through the air, heading straight for the Princess' head. With a yell, she ducked, the weapon missing her by inches. She stood up, her face filled with rage.

"What chance do you think your toys have against the most powerful Firebender in the world?"

Sokka shrugged. "You tell me."

The boomerang changed course, and struck the unsuspecting Azula squarely in the back of the head. Cursing, she rubbed the sore spot, before unleashing a jet of blue fire at the boy.

Sokka was gone, sliding out of the way, his sword unsheathed. It wasn't his old space sword, but Sokka had kept this new weapon with him, knowing it would one day come in handy.

He kicked out the legs of one of the Imperial Firebenders, before leaping to his feet, sword in hand.

"Don't just stand there," Azula threatened as she pushed two Imperial Firebenders forward. "Get him!"

The two soldiers charged, but they didn't expect the boy to be as agile as they were. The blade of Sokka's weapon found the foot of one soldier, who began hopping up and down on one leg, screeching in pain. He avoided the attack of the other soldier, before bringing the butt of his sword down on his head, knocking him clean unconscious.

He turned to Azula, who had long ago lost her patience, and stuck his tongue out at her mockingly. "You dare?" Her fury was building and Sokka was suddenly faced with more blue fire.

Darting out of the way, he prepared to attack, but Azula was there instantly. She got under his guard, and with agility that surpassed his, she gripped his forearm and twisted, until it was brought up, behind his back. Sokka screeched as his arm was forced into the unnatural position. He was forced to drop his sword. Azula then proceeded to kick him in the back, driving him to the ground.

He looked up at her helplessly.

"What, no sarcastic remarks," she taunted. She lowered herself, so that her lips were right next to his ear. He could feel her warm breath in his ear as she whispered to him.

_ "That lemur will lead your friends right out here. And while they're distracted with me, my men will find and take the last map piece from the Air Sanctuary." _She ruffled his hair. "Enjoy the last moments of your pathetic existence, peasant. You'll only live long enough to see me snuff the life out of your friends."

…

Momo's eyes were wide as he glided through the halls of the air temple. "Come back here," a voice yelled, and suddenly the hallway was filled with flame behind him. Momo flapped his little wings as hard as he could, missing the spurt of fire that was unleashed after him.

The little creature spun directly into the library, where he collapsed on the floor exhausted. Aang and Katara, who were still sorting through papers, stopped and stared at him. Then their eyes caught the Imperial Firebender staring in the doorway.

"Hey look," Aang beamed cheerfully. "It's must be one of Zuko's guards here to welcome us back to the Fire Nation!"

"Uh, you might want to think again," Katara bellowed as the room was lit up with flames. Using her Waterbending, Katara put out the small fire that had been started, and Aang blasted their foe up against a wall. His helmeted head struck the stone wall, before he slumped to the ground, unmoving.

"Okay, what was that about," a surprised Aang questioned.

Momo was suddenly jumping up and down, waving his flapped arms and pointing furiously to the door.

"What's he saying," asked Katara. "Do you want a treat Momo?"

Aang's eyes were wide. "No, I don't think so. I think Sokka's in trouble!"

The lemur chattered furiously in acknowledgment. Scooping the little critter up, Aang and Katara burst out of the library to help their friend.

…

The palace in Ba Sing Se was abuzz with a great party. It was a coronation ceremony of the new Earth King, Long Feng. All of the rich, powerful socialites from across the city were there to honor their new king.

All of the patrons were buttering up Long Feng, eager to get in good with the new ruler. Long Feng soaked it in with feigned humility.

"Oh no, no. Actually, it came as quite a shock when Earth King Keui stepped down and appointed me in his place. A pleasant shock, but a shock nonetheless.

Three patrons stood far away from the main festivities in the throne room. All of their faces were painted to appear as rich, social elites. "I hate this," Mai grumbled. "Why do I have to wear makeup?"

Ying shushed her. "Remember why we're here. We've got to be on the lookout while your boyfriend, his uncle and the blind girl sneak in and rescue the Earth King."

"Yea, well, this lipstick is really burning up my lips."

"Suck it up, Mai," Jin retorted. "It would do you good to wear some makeup from time to time. Maybe then Zuko would find you more appealing than me."

Mai's hand found a stiletto, and she was seriously contemplating using it on that girl. Ying forced her hand into her pocket. "Don't even think about it," he warned.

Mai rolled her eyes as she watched Long Feng laughing and partying with the other patrons. "So for how long are we doing this?"

"We have to watch until Zuko gets the true Earth King to safety. Only then can we leave."

"Well I would much rather have Toph waiting here with us than Jin. It would be fun to try to force her to wear these girly outfits."

…

Two Dai Lai agents were patrolling the grounds of the Royal Palace, bored out of their minds. As they approached an alleyway, they suddenly found their feet encased in rock. The ground started moving, pulling them into the darkness of the alleyway. Then came the sounds of punching, beating, boulders flying, and several girlish screams.

Then silence.

From out of the darkness, two Dai Li agents appeared, with their "prisoner," a blind young girl.

"Ha, that was fun," exclaimed Toph. "Those guys had no idea what them."

"Now does everyone remember the plan," Zuko asked from under the wide brim of the Dai Li hat.

Iroh, the second "Dai Li agent" nodded. "We sneak into the palace pretending Toph is our prisoner. Then we find and rescue the Earth King."

"Yea, let the buttkicking commence," Toph relished.

"No," admonished Zuko. "No buttkicking. We get in and out without a peep, understand?"

"I never get to have any fun," Toph mumbled.

…

Two Dai Li were patrolling the basement of the Palace. They suddenly saw two fellow agents, leading around a little girl. "Hey," one of the Dai Li shouted. "You're not supposed to be down here! _We're_ on basement detail!"

Zuko gulped, bringing his Dai Li hat further down to cover his eyes. "Oh, uh, sorry," he replied, trying to muster a deep voice.

Iroh cleared his throat and pointed at Toph. "We're just … uh … leading our prisoner here to the prisons."

"Oh. But you're in completely the wrong place," one of the Dai Li answered. "The prison is two levels up."

"Oh, uh, silly us," Zuko replied, forcing a stuttered laugh. "We'll just be going now."

"Not so fast," one of the Dai Li ordered, and Zuko gulped. Were they caught?

"You must be the new recruits we've been hearing all about."

Zuko breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh yeah, that's totally us. Yea new recruits, new as you can get."

"Fresh out of training," Iroh added.

"Well you be careful, new guys. A lot of strange folk have been running around lately. We especially need to keep a good eye on the old Earth King."

"Oh yea, him," Zuko stammered. "Uh, if you don't mind telling us, where exactly are we keeping him?"

The other two Dai Li started laughing. "Ah, newbies. Got to love how clueless you guys can be. The old Earth King is being kept in his bedroom."

"Oh, well, thanks for the info."

"Hey, anything to help out some new guys. Us Dai Li have to stick together, you know. By the way, we're putting together a union if you guys are interested …"

But before he could finish, Zuko, Iroh and their "prisoner" were gone.

…

"I think it's this one," Zuko replied, opening a bedroom door. The sound of a woman screaming and a harsh slap rang out through the dark corridors. Zuko stumbled out of the room, holding his stinging cheek. "Okay not that one."

Iroh was trying to peer inside that room. "I'll come back here later…"

Toph shook her head. "Aren't you guys forgetting I can sense everything through my feet?" She wiggled her toes, and suddenly she pointed at a large oak door down the hall. "The Earth King is in there."

Unfortunately, that door was blocked by two other Dai Li agents. "Play it cool," Zuko told the others. They approached the door and Zuko cleared his throat. "Uh, we're here to relieve you guys of guard duty."

"Finally," one guard sighed. "My feet are killing me!"

The other Dai Li wasn't so trusting. "If you're relieving us, than what's with the girl?"

Zuko's eyes widened, trying to think up a reasonable explanation. Finally, "aaw, the heck with it." He and Iroh twirled their arms, blasting the two Dai Li through the bedroom door with Firebending. Toph broke off her "handcuffs" and forming two boulders, knocked the Dai Li out.

The trio entered the bedroom and there, sitting on the bed with his legs crossed and eyes glazed over was the Earth King. Iroh moved to inspect him further. "He's been hypnotized."

"Not only that," Zuko replied. "Look!" The Earth King was plugged into some kind of machine, and his hair was standing wildly in all directions. Currents of energy passed through his hair.

"Are they giving him electro-shock treatments?" Toph was aghast.

"Well, let's destroy this infernal machine," Zuko answered.

"Allow me." Iroh twirled his arms, gathering energy and sent a small electrical bolt into the machine, short-circuiting it. Using a small blade of fire, Zuko severed the wires, freeing the King.

The Earth King still sat there, eyes glazed over. "He's still hypnotized."

"What do we do," Toph asked.

"We have no time to figure it out now," Zuko answered. "We can figure something out later, but for now, we have to get him out of here." He picked the Earth King up, hoisting him up on his back.

"How come you never give me piggy-back rides," pouted Toph.

"Not now," Zuko grit his teeth.

"She's right, Nephew," said Iroh. "If you're giving out piggy-back rides, I want one too."

Zuko shook his head. This was going to be a long day.

…

Mai, Ying and Jin waited impatiently. Suddenly, Mai was struck in the jaw with a floating pebble. "What the -." She looked around, and saw a Dai Li agent. He stuck his fingers in his mouth and let out an odd bird call.

"Guess that's the signal," Ying said.

"Finally," replied Mai. "If I had to wear this corset a second longer, I was going to kill someone."

Ying and Jin really doubted she was exaggerating.

…

When Aang and Katara came outside the temple, they found Sokka lying on the ground, bound and gagged. When he saw them, his eyes went wide and he began shrieking behind his gag.

Aang rushed over to him and pulled the gag loose.

"You idiot," Sokka screamed in his face. "It's a trap!"

Dozens of Imperial Firebenders appeared in a puff of smoke. They then began launching simultaneous fire attacks.

Aang twirled his glider, deflecting the attacks with Airbending. "I don't get it," he shouted. "Why would Zuko send Firebenders after us?"

"Because Zuko's not behind it," Sokka answered.

Katara's stream of water effectively cut off the fire attacks, and Aang batted his staff at a group of Firebenders, blowing them high up into the air.

As the Imperial Firebenders were forced into retreat, Katara cut her brother free. "That was too easy," she commented.

"Of course it was too easy! This was all a distraction!"

"What do you mean?"

"Azula's here, and she wanted you outside the temple so she could get inside and get the map piece!"

"Wait," Katara stammered. "Did you say Azula?"

"Yes! Princess Psycho is here!"

"We have to move fast," Aang breathed. "We can't let her get the map piece! Do you have any idea where in the temple she went?"

Sokka paused to think. "She mentioned the Air Sanctuary!"

"The Air Sanctuary? But how can she get in? Nobody but an Airbender can open those doors!"

"Well apparently she found a way! We have to move! Now!"

…

The trio approached the large, oak doors leading into the Air Sanctuary. _Please don't let me be too late, _Aang thought as he blew air into the funnels attached to the door. There came a humming sound, and the doors slowly creaked open.

The trio entered the dark room, and Aang was amazed at all the statues of his previous incarnations. He had never been in the Air Sanctuary of this temple before.

"I don't see Azula," Katara said.

"Maybe that's because she's behind you," came a cold voice. The trio spun around to see Azula smirking at them.

"Thank you for opening those doors for me, Airbender. I would have had a real difficult time opening them myself."

"You…," Aang growled. Azula had played them all for a fool. Again.

The Princess was suddenly joined by dozens of Imperial Firebenders. She lazily strolled past the gang, and took a sudden interest in all of the Avatar statues. She began listing off the names of the most recent ones. "Avatar Kuruk. Avatar Kyoshi. Avatar Roku … ah but here's a new one."

Aang looked in surprise to see another statue after Avatar Roku. It was that of a young Air Monk, a broad smile plastered on his face.

"And Avatar Aang," Azula concluded.

Aang looked at the statue with his likeness. "The monks here must have built this last statue shortly before they were killed."

The statue suddenly exploded as a surge of lighting pierced it. Aang shrieked in surprise and stumbled backwards. The smiling statue smiled no more.

"Target practice," Azula smirked, smoke pouring from her fingers. She stepped past Aang towards the remains of the statue. She bent down and picked up what appeared to be a small chest.

"Just as I thought. Those monks were clever, though, not too clever for me." She held the small chest up. "Hidden inside that statue the whole time." She opened the chest and there, now clasped tightly in her hand, was the final map piece.

Azula could see the gleam in Aang's eyes. "I can see how badly you want this, Avatar. But you can't stop fate. This map piece was destined to be mine – just as your people were destined for extinction."

Aang sprung up from the ground, prepared to attack Azula. She simply knocked him away with a blast of superheated air.

"Really, Avatar, haven't you learned by now? I am the supreme Firebender. No one can defeat me."

"I wouldn't say no one," Katara announced, water streaming from her hands.

Azula cackled. "Oh peasant. The only reason you defeated me was by trickery and my own miscalculations. I got a little … _carried away_ that night. But now my mind is as focused as ever." She sent a little electrical charge at Katara's feet, causing her skitter away a few paces.

The Fire Princess began making her way to the exit, map piece in hand and a triumphant grin spread across her face. She peered over her shoulder at the Imperial Firebenders.

_"Finish them."_

She left the Sanctuary, but her cackling still careened around the room as the Firebenders began to spread out.

…

"Hmm, he's been brainwashed but good."

The Earth King sat on a pillow in the Jasmine Dragon, his mouth slack and his eyes vacant.

"Is there any way to fix him," Iroh asked.

Joo Dee continued her examination of the Earth King. "Well … I suppose it's possible. But it will take many, many hours. It took weeks for them to deprogram me!"

"Umm, not to alarm anyone," Toph suddenly said. "But I don't think we have that long!"

The door to the Jasmine Dragon was torn clean from its frame and thrown to the side, revealing dozens of Dai Li agents.

"Surrender the Earth King," the lead one ordered.

Zuko, Iroh, Toph and Mai lined up to create a human barrier between their enemies and the Earth King.

"We'll go through you if we have to," the Dai Li said.

"Try us," Zuko taunted, until a jet of fire missed him by a few inches. "Huh?"

"It would be best to listen to them," Ying said, his fists pointed at him. Zuko merely gaped. The old vagabond was doubl-crossing them.

"Ying? But why?"

Ying laughed. "You were always too trusting for your own good, 'Fire Lord.' You as well, General Iroh."

"Ying…" Iroh shook his head sadly. "Why are you doing this?"

"Phoenix King Ozai is giving me a nice cushy position as Admiral. There seems to have been a vacancy for that spot since old Admiral Zhao kicked the bucket."

"You're doing this for power," Zuko asked incredulously. He couldn't believe this was happening. "But … but … you helped me escape from the Fire Nation!"

Mai seemed thoughtful. "Did he Zuko? Or was he leading you away from home and into the open where you would be an easier target?"

Zuko thought about it. Ying had persuaded him to leave the Fire Nation, thus leaving behind his throne as Fire Lord, allowing Ozai to regain that position. And then, more pieces were added to the puzzle as Zuko put two and two together.

"You sent the Combustion Man after us!"

Ying nodded. "Yes. But that oaf failed me – again!"

"Again?"

"Why do you think he continued attacking the Avatar at the Western Air Temple, despite your orders for him to stop? When you originally sent him to hunt the Avatar all those weeks ago … he was never _truly_ working for you. He was my agent from the beginning."

Zuko allowed this all to sink in.

"Are we done talking," Ying pressed. "Good. Now, back to the business at hand. Surrender the Earth King, and I _might_ let you all live today."

"That's not going to happen," Zuko answered defiantly.

Ying shrugged. "Have it your way." He punched two fists forward and flames propelled from his knuckles, searing straight for the boy.

And it was blocked by a wall of flame. Iroh stood there, his eyes shining with fury. "Really, General Iroh, this is quite foolish of you. A seasoned warrior like you should really know when he's outmatched!"

"Outnumbered? Perhaps. But outmatched? Well … we'll just see about that! There is a reason I am referred to as the 'Dragon of the West.'"

"What are you rambling about?"

The answer was given as Ying was thrown off his feet by a fire blast and sent crashing into the wall. Iroh leaped after him, but the cutthroat was already recovering from the attack.

As Iroh and Ying started to duel, the others turned their attention to the Dai Li. What ensued was sheer pandemonium as boulders and flames sprayed everywhere. Tables and chairs were overthrown; windows were shattered as the entire Jasmine Dragon was torn apart.

Jin had taken up hiding behind the counter. A Dai Li agent came for her, attempting to capture her. Thinking quickly, she grabbed the tea pot she had been preparing, opened the top and threw scalding tea right into the Dai Li's eyes. He screamed as his face was boiled, and Jin simply knocked him out with the teapot.

On the other side of the shop, Zuko and Toph were going head to head against four Dai Li agents. A mixture of earth and fire exploded all around them.

Ying and Iroh continued to go at it. The fighting was fast and intense as neither could overpower the other.

A stray burst of flame licked wall of the tea shop, and in an instant, the entire Jasmine Dragon went up in flames.

They were trapped in a growing inferno.

There was a pause in the fighting as everyone realized their predicament.

Toph was the first one to react. She created a rocky wall, and slammed several Dai Li with it, before opening a fissure in the earth. She motioned for everyone to go in. Jin, Mai, and Bosco the bear, carrying the hypnotized Earth King, were the first ones through.

Enraged, Ying continued his assault on Iroh. Zuko lashed out at his former ally. Together with Iroh, they drove Ying back. With an unrestrained fury, Zuko crashed into Ying, throwing him clean through the wall.

With that, Iroh and Zuko leaped through Toph's fissure. The blind Earthbender knocked back any approaching Dai Li, before leaping in herself and sealing the hole shut behind her.

…

"A little help here," a disoriented Sokka shouted as a jet of fire whizzed past his head. He took shelter with Momo behind one of the Avatar statues. "I think we'll be safe just hiding here," he told the lemur.

The head of the statue suddenly exploded into dust, and Sokka dashed away, his eyes wide with terror. "Sometimes I hate not being a bender!"

Three Imperial Firebenders moved in on Katara, who streamed more water around her body. Out of the corner of her body, she could see Aang battling an even larger group of benders. Katara morphed the water around her, creating numerous water tentacles like an octopus. One Firebender moved tried to get in close enough to attack, but was thrown to the side by a tentacle like a rag doll.

His partner prepared to punch his fist forward when one of the tentacles snaked around his ankle and tossed him high up into the air. He hit the wall with a thud, before sliding down into in a semi-conscious daze.

Aang was a wonder. Having mastered all four elements, none of the Firebenders could touch him. He danced around the room with a dazzling grace, his staff not a weapon but an extension of his being. When a surge of fire pulsed towards him, he created a wall of flames to absorb it. Then he morphed his flaming barricade into an arcing attack, driving the Firebenders back.

Afterwards, the Avatar twirled his staff like a marvelous dancer, and a gale surged throughout the temple, throwing the Firebenders even further back. Aang leaped into the air, and when he landed, he brought his staff straight down, penetrating the rocky floor. The crack grew, snaking toward the Firebenders, before a gaping fissure appeared beneath their feet, dropping them below.

The Firebenders were beaten, but the battle was far from over.

"We have to stop Azula," Aang exclaimed.

Katara shook her head. "Dang her. She's probably way ahead of us by now!"

"Well what are we standing around here for," questioned Sokka. "Let's move!"

The trio raced through the numerous corridors and outside the air temple. Up above, they could see the Fire Nation airship beginning to lift off into the air. And there on the deck, mocking them, was Azula.

"We're too late," Sokka murmured.

"I don't think so!" Aang suddenly blew hard on his bison whistle, and with a growl, the mighty Appa appeared. In a flash they were on his saddle and Aang grabbed the reigns. "Yip-yip!" The bison took off after the fleeing airship.

"We have trouble," Sokka squealed, and Aang saw more Imperial Firebenders lining up along the railings of the airship. Dozens of jets of fire shot out at them from all directions.

"Everyone hold tight! This is going to be a bumpy ride!" Aang pulled on the reigns, and Appa spun past the flaming barrages.

Azula was watching the whole thing, getting more agitated by the second. "Can't anyone bring that darn beast down?" She pushed aside one of the Firebenders, and the next thing Aang knew, a bolt of lightning was racing right for them.

"Sokka, grab the reigns!"

"But I-." Cursing under his breath, Sokka took over while Aang sprang up into the air on his glider and in the direct path of Azula's lightning. He outstretched one of hands, allowing the lightning to flow up his arm and into his stomach. It was almost impossible for him to breathe deeply, evade the Firebenders, and fly at the same time. He allowed the lightning to travel up out of his arm again, effectively redirecting it. He then flew straight for the deck of the airship.

Firebenders lined up immediately, prepared to prevent him from landing.

"We've got to make sure Aang gets on that ship! Get us closer," Katara demanded.

"Closer?"

"Sokka just do it!"

The boy brought Appa up closer to the deck of the airship, and several of the Imperial Firebenders were knocked clean off their feet by an arc of water. With incredible agility, the Waterbender soared off of the bison's saddle and landed gracefully on the deck of the airship. The Firebenders diverted their attention to her and began advancing.

Aang landed hard on the metal deck, his glider twirling. Azula was there almost immediately, blue fire erupting out of her hands. Aang barely dodged it, before countering with some Airbending.

"Impressive show, Avatar, but as you know, it'll take more than a little wind to defeat me!"

"I'm well aware of that Azula," Aang spat, deflecting more fire with a spin of his staff. "But if I could defeat your father, I can certainly defeat you!"

Azula's eye twitched. "How dare you talk about my father!" Flame daggers appeared out of her fists and she charged. Aang spun into the air, landing behind her as light as a feather.

"What are you trying to prove," Aang asked. "The war is over. Your father has been defeated. Why still cling to all your rage and hate?" He ducked as another fiery jet flew over his head. "You can have a totally different life. Settle down, meet a nice boy, have a family…"

Azula stopped. "F-family?" Her eye was twitching even more. "What do you know of family," she spat as she produced more fire.

Aang gently glided out of the way. "More than you think Azula. Zuko told me all about your childhood. How your father forced you to fight and kill others. What kind of father does that? That's no family life!"

"Don't you dare try to mess with me, Avatar. I had a wonderful childhood!"

"Your father made you fight all the time! What kind of childhood is that?"

Aang seemed to have struck a nerve, as the intensity of Azula's attacks become more fierce. _Note to self, _he thought. _Next time you face Azula, try not to anger her._

Aang rolled out of the way, and generated some Firebending of his own to counter hers. Flames roared in all directions.

Azula and Aang continued their fierce combat. They were interrupted when one of the Imperial Firebenders went sailing past them, unconscious. They both looked up to see that Katara had made short work of the Firebenders and was now moving to join their fray.

"It's over Azula," Katara commented. "Don't drag this out."

"Don't tell me what to do, you filthy peasant!"

"Azula, listen," Aang pleaded. "You're outmatched. Give up. Stop this now before someone _really _gets hurt!"

Azula cocked her head. "You're hilarious, Avatar. You think that you can _really _lay a finger on me?"

"Let's not have a repeat of Sozin's Comet," Katara reminded her.

Azula gently back up, away from them. She reached into her battle armor, and withdrew the map piece. Aang thought that she was presenting it to them as a declaration of surrender, but no. She held her open palm under it, and a small blue flame materialized.

"It appears the tables have turned," she grinned. "The ball is in my court, now Avatar. So why don't you two consider surrendering?"

Aang and Katara stood there, unsure.

"Surrender now, or I'll burn this map piece!"

"What do we do," Katara asked. Aang didn't seem to hear here. His gaze was fixated on the map piece.

"Drop your staff, Avatar!" Azula moved the flame closer to the parchment, and the edges already began blackening. "I'm not kidding with you anymore, Avatar." Her voice was deadly serious. "Drop. Your. Staff."

Aang was seriously considering it, when he saw Sokka's boomerang headed right for the back of Azula's head.

The Princess ducked at the last second, as she saw the bison fly by. "How stupid do you think I am that I would fall for that old trick twice?"

The boomerang arced backwards, towards Azula again. Rolling her eyes, she sidestepped it. "You're going to have to come up with some new tricks, peasant," she called at Sokka. "And as for you, Avatar, this is my final warning!"

A small dart suddenly appeared in the center of the map piece. A dart with a very long piece of fishing line attached. Azula was caught by surprise. "What?"

It was Sokka. He yanked on the fishing line, completely pulling the parchment free of Azula's grasp and into Sokka's hand. "Yea! How's that for new tricks?"

Azula was seething. "You filthy peasant!" She was preparing to fry Sokka with some lightning when a blast of air knocked her feet out from under her. She landed on the metal floor of the ship with a loud crack that made even Aang wince.

The Princess staggered to her feet, holding her head. She had hit the floor harder than she thought, and her vision was swimming. Her eyes went into and out of focus as she staggered around.

Aang saw the danger too late. "Azula!"

The Princess lost her balance and fell over the railing, beginning a plummet hundreds of feet below.

Enemy or not, Aang was not just going to let her die. He dove off the airship, opening the wings of his glider. Spinning downward to pick up speed, he reached out with his free arm, looping it around Azula's waist.

The combined weight of both of them began to take its toll on the glider, which began a rather quick descent.

Sokka was there in a flash with Appa, and Aang gently alighted with the now unconscious Azula on the bison's saddle.

But now there was another problem. Katara was calling his name. Aang had forgotten about her – she was still on the airship.

"Aang," she screamed, and there was genuine panic in her voice. "I accidentally knocked out the pilot! There's no one steering this thing!"

Aang turned to Sokka. "Watch Azula!"

"Why do I get stuck with the psycho Princess?"

"And don't get any funny ideas," Aang winked, before taking to the air again. Sokka looked repulsed.

The airship was on a collision course with a large mountain. Katara was holding on to the railing, her knuckles whitening. She was only a few meters away from instant death.

Two meters.

One meter.

The airship crashed in a fiery explosion.

But Katara was not on it.

She was holding on to Aang for dear life as he flew back towards his bison. She felt Aang's body, and mentally took note of how hard his abdominal muscles had become. _Lucky me, _she thought.

But when they landed on Appa, things had taken yet another spin in a wild direction.

"Uh … help," was Sokka's weak request. Azula had her forearm around his throat, and two fingers on her other hand were pointed at his skull. A small blue flame appeared at the tips of her fingers.

"And now the tables have turned yet again, Avatar," she sneered. "Now surrender yourselves into Fire Nation custody, give me the map, and fly this thing back to the Royal Plaza, or your smelly friend here will have his brains incinerated!"

"Hey – I am not smelly," protested Sokka.

The Princess tightened her grip. "If you value your friend's life, I suggest you listen. Perhaps if you come quietly, I'll persuade my father to spare your life. _Perhaps._"

"Fine Azula," a resigned Aang stated. "You win."

"Wait – what?" A surprised look appeared in her brow. She had been expecting the Avatar to give her a little bit of resistance. But the sudden surprise quickly melted into pleasure. "Good. Now fly this filthy beast to the capitol right now!"

"As you wish."

"Are you serious," Sokka exclaimed. "Aang, I'm not worth it! Just take Azula down and forget about me!"

"Silence peasant," she hissed.

"Oh, first you call me smelly and then you call me a peasant? That's it!" Sokka suddenly jabbed two knuckles into Azula's neck. Sokka may not have been a bender, but he did know a thing or two about human anatomy.

He had struck a pressure point in Azula's throat. The Princess loosened her grip, and Sokka elbowed her in the clavicle. She sputtered, lost her balance, and then once again, disappeared over the edge of Appa's saddle, into the fog below.

"Not again!" Aang opened his glider and took off into the thickening fog.

Katara stared at Sokka incredulously. "Where did you learn those moves?"

"Suki," he replied.

"And where did Suki learn them?"

"I dunno, Ty Lee?"

Aang reappeared after a few minutes and landed, his eyes glistening with tears and his face deathly pale. "I – I couldn't find her you guys." He landed flat on his rear. "She's – she's gone."

Katara knew how much Aang valued life, and so she put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry Aang. But it's not your fault. You did everything you could."

"Yea, besides, it's Azula," Sokka said. "Trust me - things are a lot better off with her out of the picture."

"Sokka," snapped Katara. She turned back to her boyfriend. "Besides, Aang. We have all four map pieces now! We can finally locate the fifth air temple! And maybe there'll be some of your people there!"

Aang nodded. "Maybe." He turned his back and grabbed Appa's reigns. He didn't speak another word for the rest of the day.

…

Zuko, Iroh, Mai, Jin, Toph, Bosco and the hypnotized Earth King emerged from underground in one of the Lower Rings of Ba Sing Se.

"Okay," Jin snapped. "This has been the second time this week my life has been in danger! I'm getting sick of it!"

"Yea," Zuko replied. "Just try having your life endangered _every day_! Then we'll talk."

Iroh rubbed his temples. "It seems I must rescue Ba Sing Se – _once again!_"

"Uncle, what should we do?"

"I will re-gather the leaders of the Order of the White Lotus. We'll take this city back."

"But what about us," Toph asked.

"You must find the Avatar. Only he can stop this before it erupts into another full-scale war."

"But Uncle, I don't want to leave you alone again!"

"I'll be fine, Zuko. You forget I am a very capable man. I will punish Long Feng and Ying." His eyes misted. "They have destroyed my tea shop – my very livelihood."

Zuko nodded. He knew how much the Jasmine Dragon meant to his uncle, and how hurt he must be over its destruction and Ying's betrayal.

"So … I guess I have to find the Avatar again," Zuko mumbled. "But he could be anywhere!"

"So you better start searching now, Nephew."

Zuko groaned. "I've been hunting the Avatar for three years. Now I have to hunt him down all over again!"

"Don't worry, Sparky, I'm there with you," Toph gently asserted.

"Yea, I'll come too," Mai said.

"Me three," Jin piped up. "Besides, Zuko left my life once – I'll see to it that he doesn't do so again!" At this, Mai rolled her eyes and folded her arms. This was going to be a barely tolerable nuisance.

"The Earth King is also in much danger," Iroh warned. "You should take him and Bosco along with you. Besides, in his state, the Earth King is just as much a danger to himself." The Earth King stood there, staring into space, with a sliver of drool escaping his slack mouth.

Zuko was incredulous. "You want me to take a near zombie and a bear?"

Bosco roared and then gave Zuko a very wet kiss on the cheek.

Iroh laughed. "See? He likes you!"

"I guess that's it then. I'm going to miss you, Uncle."

Iroh beamed at his nephew. "I am very proud of you, Fire Lord Zuko. It was always your destiny to help the Avatar bring peace to the world. It is your destiny to do so again."

Nephew and Uncle embraced in the setting sun, as they went their separate ways.

Toph could barely contain her excitement at seeing Aang, Sokka and Katara again. "Look out world," she declared. "Team Avatar is coming back!"

…

Long Feng was sitting on his throne sipping tea, when that Fire Nation General, Ying appeared and bowed before him. "What is it this time," the new Earth King demanded. "Can't you see I'm enjoying my tea?"

As he moved to take another sip, Ying shot a tiny ball of fire at the cup, superheating the tea. "YAAARRGGGH!" Long Feng squealed as the tea seared his mouth. His tongue hung out as he desperately tried fanning it.

"I have orders from the Fire Nation. You are to leave Ba Sing Se and go to the Fire capitol."

Long Feng was taken aback. "Leave Ba Sing Se? Leave my throne? Are you insane?"

Ying smiled. "The Phoenix King has a very special task for you there. Trust me, you will be richly rewarded."

"This is absurd! I just manipulate my way to becoming king – under _your_ orders – and you want me to leave just like that?"

Dozens of Imperial Firebenders suddenly appeared and Ying smiled triumphantly. "You don't exactly have a choice."

"Oh really? My Dai Li will stop you!"

"You still trust your Dai Li, Long Feng? Look."

The Dai Li appeared from the shadows. But instead of siding with their leader, they once again sided with the Fire Nation. "You traitors," Long Feng screamed.

"What can I say," Ying chuckled. "The Fire Nation pays better than you do."

Long Feng lowered his head. "What must I do?"

"Go to the capitol. The Phoenix King will give you further instructions once you arrive."

Muttering and cursing under his breath, Long Feng departed from the throne room in a hurry. Making sure he was gone, Ying flopped himself onto the Earth King's throne.

The Fire Nation was once again in charge of Ba Sing Se.

…

An airship lumbered forward in the sky. A figure stood on the deck, holding a telescope. The Avatar's bison was in her sights.

Azula lowered the telescope and smiled. "You think you're rid of me, Avatar … instead you'll just lead me straight to the fifth air temple…"

…

_Next Chapter the gang finally finds the Fifth Air Temple!_


	11. Chapter 11: The Temple I: The Caretaker

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

…

Book 4:

Air

Chapter eleven: The Temple I: The Caretaker

…

"Okay, I think this piece goes here, and this one goes here."

"No, no, no Sokka. You have the map put together the wrong way! You have the Northern Water Tribe south of the Earth Kingdom!"

"Katara, you clearly have no idea what you're talking about."

The siblings were having their latest spat as they sat in Appa's saddle hundreds of feet in the air. They were trying to put the four map pieces together, but Sokka was becoming more and more irritating.

Aang had allowed them to argue, but he finally decided to intervene. "Here, I know how these pieces fit together." Leaving Appa on autopilot, he joined them in the saddle and he quickly arranged the four map pieces.

"There, see. All Four Nations are exactly where they should be."

They gazed at the map, their eyes transfixed on it. "Okay, how is this map any different than any other map," Sokka queried.

There was nothing indicating any fifth temple – just all Four Nations and the North, South, East and West Air Temples.

Katara was the first to speak. "Uh … so where's the fifth temple?"

"I – I don't know." Aang was stuttering. "I don't get it! It was supposed to show us where the fifth air temple is!"

Katara bit her lip, trying to phrase her next statement as tactfully as possible. "Maybe – maybe it doesn't exist."

"I knew it," Sokka groaned. "We've been had!"

Aang sat there, staring at the four map pieces, his eyes misted over. "It was supposed to be real," he sniveled. "I was so _sure_ it was real!" He turned away and folded his arms. His hopes and dreams had been dashed completely.

Katara came over to gently soothe him. "Hey, calm down Aang. Just because the fifth air temple may not exist, it doesn't mean that there may not be any Air Nomads out there … somewhere."

Aang sighed. "It just irks me that we've been going on a wild goose chase for the past few weeks. And Koh and Avatar Roku … they were sure it existed too! And Monk Gyatso!" He reached into his shirt and withdrew Gyatso's journal.

"He believed it was real! But I guess it was all just a fairy tale after all…"

…

"Now this … this is exactly what we needed after everything we've been through." Katara leaped into the pond and started doing laps around it. "Come on, Aang. Don't make me swim alone!" Momo dove into the water, and Appa tentatively stuck his toes in. "See, Momo and Appa know how to party!"

"No thanks," Aang grumbled. "I'm not in the mood right now…"

Katara stuck out her lower lip and gave him puppy dog eyes. "Pretty please…?"

"Come on Katara, that's no fair! You know I can't resist that face!"

"I know, so get your butt in the water right now!"

Shaking his head at the power his girlfriend had over him, Aang shed his outer clothes and leaped in. "There, I'm the water, happy now?"

"Don't be such a sourpuss." She playfully splashed him with water.

"Can I get out now?"

"Only after you practice some Waterbending drills with me. Besides, it'll cheer you up about the temple!"

"It's not just the temple," Aang said as he joined Katara in a Waterbending stance. "It's also about the fact that I wasn't able to save Azula back at the Western Air Temple."

"You're _still _feeling bad about that? Aang, I thought I told you that it wasn't your fault – it was hers! You did everything you could – nobody could have saved her."

Aang shook his head. "If I had been faster … you don't understand what it's like to have someone die because of you!"

"How do you know she's dead," came Sokka's voice from the edge of the pond. He was leisurely sitting on a rock, still looking at the map pieces. He had taped the pieces together to form one whole map. "I mean, Azula's pretty resourceful. I'll bet she survived that fall and is gunning for us as we speak."

Aang shook his head. "That's a comforting thought!" Muttering, he climbed out of the water.

"Where are you going," Katara asked.

"I've got to try out some Airbending drills," he answered. "Especially if there's a Dark Avatar out there, I'm going to need to keep my skills sharp."

"Well, don't become so focused on that that you have no time for me," she pouted. Aang chuckled.

"Don't worry, I won't let that happen."

Aang moved a bit of a distance away from the pond, where he rooted his stance and breathed deep. He focused as hard as he could with his Airbending, and then began twirling his arms in a circular pattern. The nearby trees swayed with his moves, as he created gentle breezes in all directions.

"Hey, watch it," came Sokka's voice.

Aang saw Sokka running after the taped up map, which had been blown out of his hands and was being carried along with the wind. As the breeze died down, the parchment gently fluttered to the ground where Sokka snatched it up. "Gotcha!"

Aang watched with faint amusement.

He then switched his stance, preparing to practice a different technique, when Sokka began yelling again.

"The map! The map! Look at the map!"

"What are you talking about Sokka?"

Sokka rushed towards him. "It was only for the briefest instant … but when you Airbended and the wind hit the map, I saw something!" He held the map out in front of his chest. "Do it again!"

Aang raised an eyebrow. "You want me to … blow wind onto a map?" Sokka nodded enthusiastically. The Avatar shrugged. "What have I got to lose …?"

"What's going on," Katara inquired, pulling herself up out of the pond and joining them. She bended the water out of her hair and clothing, effectively drying herself.

Sokka motioned for her to be quiet. "Do it Aang."

Aang waved his hand and a gentle wind wafted forth and blew through the fabric of the map. Aang and Katara thought it was pretty ridiculous, but Sokka's eyes were wide with excitement.

"There, I saw something," he exclaimed.

"So did I," Katara cheered.

"Do it again," Sokka ordered. "Except this time, blow more air into it – and harder!"

Sokka was suddenly blown clean off his feet and landed hard on his bottom.

"Sorry Sokka," Aang apologized sheepishly. "Guess I put _too_ much into it!"

"You can say that again," he replied, his hair now completely askew. His eyes then found the map. "Look!"

The trio huddled around the map as suddenly, lines began to appear on – an "X" with the label "Hidden Temple" materialized on the page.

Aang swallowed tightly and he could feel his pulse quickening. "That's it … the fifth air temple!" Excitement coursed through his body.

"Incredible! I _knew _it was real!"

"Got to hand it to those Airbenders," remarked Sokka. "Pretty clever of them to conceal its location on the map so that only an Airbender could find it."

Aang traced the X with his fingers. "Look … it's located in the exact center of the Earth Kingdom!"

"That's only a few days journey from here," Katara remarked.

"Well what are we waiting for," Aang cheered. He buzzed about, quickly packing up their supplies and tossing them on Appa's back. "Let's hurry up and get there! Those Airbenders are waiting for us!"

…

"Princess, they're on the move," a lieutenant said, bowing.

Princess Azula sat on a throne aboard a Fire Nation airship. "It's about time," she grumbled. She moved up on deck, and looked through a small telescope. "Yes, you're right. They seem pretty eager get somewhere in a hurry. I guess they've finally discovered the location of the fifth air temple." She turned to her lieutenant. "Add more fuel to the engines, but don't get too close. We can't let them see us."

He bowed low. "Yes, Princess."

Azula smirked. _You'll lead me right to the temple, Avatar. And I can rid this world of your kind once and for all._

…

The two days seemed to drag on to Aang, who was so excited to have finally located the temple that he hadn't been able to sleep for the past few days. He was wide awake on Appa's head, eyes wide open, bloodshot. He didn't even feel tired – the adrenaline rushed at the thought of perhaps finding some survivors of his kind.

Aang was in such a rush to get there, that they made almost no stops on the way there (except for bathroom breaks and for sleeping). Sokka was getting irritable because the food stores were getting low and Aang refused to stop until he made contact with another Airbender.

At long last, they arrived in the center of the Earth Kingdom, exactly where the marker on the map directed them. Aang was so overeager to get there that he accidentally made Appa nearly crash into some nearby trees.

After sliding off of the creature's back, Aang darted through the woods, the others struggling to keep up. "Come on guys, the temple is close, I can feel it!" He looked through the trees and saw light up ahead. "There!"

The light brought him to the midst of a clearing in the woods, where he stopped short. "There's nothing here!" He reexamined the map, studying it intently. "But … but … this is where it's supposed to be!"

He looked around. There was nothing in the giant clearing. And all around them were woods for miles. Aang slumped down on his seat, disappointment replacing excitement in a heartbeat.

"What do you think could have happened," inquired Sokka.

"Maybe the Fire Nation found it after all," a despondent Aang answered. "Maybe they destroyed it – and any surviving Air Nomads with it."

"Now don't start talking that way, Aang." Katara's voice was stern. "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for all this."

"Yea, like maybe the temple's invisible or something," Sokka said.

Aang stood up and began feeling his way around the clearing. "Nope. Nothing but grass, air and a few bugs. No temple. And definitely no Air Nomads."

Katara began spreading their sleeping bags around the clearing. "It's getting late, so we should probably set up camp here for the night."

Sokka and Aang gathered firewood, which Aang then set ablaze, creating a warm campfire. Aang stared into the flames. Katara reassured him. "Don't give up hope yet, Aang. We'll get a goodnight's sleep, and then we can search the rest of these woods for any indication of a temple. Okay?"

He didn't say anything, but merely nodded.

Aang stared deep into the blazing campfire, and images ran through his head of when the Southern Air Temple was attacked by the Fire Nation. Did Monk Gyatso put up a fight? Aang knew that Gyatso had been very protective of his students, particularly the younger ones. Gyatso most likely gave up his life fighting to save them.

The memory of his old teacher brought tears to his eyes and Momo, almost instinctually, came over to comfort his friend. Aang stroked the lemur's furry ears; with his other hand he touched his breast where he kept Gyasto's journal.

Having his friend's dearest written thoughts close to his heart brought him some level of comfort. After an hour of lamenting his lost people, he finally drifted to an uneasy sleep.

…

_Aang was walking, surrounded on all sides by darkness. He couldn't see his right hand from his left. His heart quickened. Instinctually he knew he was in danger and that he had to get to safety._

_ The only problem was that all of his surroundings were pitch black._

_ He hurried his pace._

_ He heard footsteps behind, and suddenly, a light flickered in front of him._

_ He stopped as he saw a person coming up behind him. He was just a darkened silhouette, but Aang could see his fiercely glowing eyes._

_ Then a strange thing happened. A sphere of air appeared in his hands._

_ An Airbender?_

_ Aang approached the stranger. "H-hello?"_

_ The figure remained silent. Aang pressed for some kind of communication._

_ "Can you help me? I'm looking for the fifth air temple."_

_ After a few moments of silence, the figure finally spoke._

_ "__Behold, directly overhead, a certain strange star was suddenly seen …" _(1)_._

_ Aang just stood there. "What?"_

_ The figure suddenly phased out before him, as Aang was suddenly engulfed in light._

…

Aang shot forward in his sleeping bag, sweat running down his cheek. He looked around to see two forms sleeping next to the dead campfire; one of them was obviously Sokka due to his loud snoring.

_It was a dream._

But it was unlike any dream he had ever had before. Was it possible … had a spirit tried to communicate with him? He repeated its words softly.

"Behold, directly overhead, a certain strange star was suddenly seen…"

Excited once again, he was unable to get back to sleep. He began pacing back and forth, repeating the Spirit's words. "Behold, directly overhead … certain star … suddenly seen … directly overhead … directly overhead …"

Aang looked up into the night sky and all the glistening stars above.

There was one that was brighter than all the others.

"Directly overhead …"

It was unlike any star he had seen before; it was large and its brightness rivaled the moons. But he had never seen any star like that one before in any part of the world.

He rushed over to Sokka and attempted to rouse him from his sleep. "Sokka … wake up!"

The dreaming Sokka wrapped his arm around Aang and suddenly pulled him close to his face. "Oh Suki," he said sleep talking. "You were going to show me that move earlier … the tongue twister." He pursed his lips, moving closer to Aang's face.

Panicking, the monk grabbed the nearest living thing and blocked Sokka's lips with it. So when the sleeping Sokka tongue-kissed Momo, he received the shock of a lifetime. "Hey, you're not Suki!"

Momo chattered, waving a fist at him.

"Well you're no prize pickle yourself," the boy spat back, wiping his mouth frantically.

"What's with all the yelling," a groggy Katara moaned.

"I think I might have just found the temple," Aang practically shouted.

"Seriously?" Katara was wide awake now. "Where?"

Aang pointed directly overhead, and both Katara and Sokka's faces drifted upward.

"Wow," Katara said. "That star is even brighter than the moon!"

"There's no star that's brighter than the moon," Sokka stated threateningly.

"I don't understand how … but I don't think it's a star. Look, it's too close to the earth to be a star … I think … somehow … it might be the Air Temple!"

"A floating temple?" Sokka was incredulous. "No offense Aang, but have _you_ been hitting the cactus juice lately?"

"No," Katara agreed. "I think Aang might be on to something."

"Let's wake Appa," Aang said. "We've got to check this thing out."

…

"Aang … this is … incredible …"

As they soared higher into the air than they ever have before, the "star" began to take on a whole new form. Stone walls and towering spires could be made out.

"I don't believe, it" Sokka was repeating to himself. "I just don't believe it!"

Aang's mouth was open, and his eyes were wide with fascination. "I knew it was real. I just _knew _it." His hand lovingly stroked the journal he was now clutching. "Thank you, Gyatso …"

Before them, in all its glory, was the Legendary Fifth Air Temple.

"Alright, so where do we land Appa," Sokka asked.

Aang observed the structure. "There appears to be a courtyard to the right."

"Then let's go in for a landing."

Appa gently alighted on his furry toes in the middle of a grassy courtyard. "This … this place is absolutely amazing," Katara remarked as the trio climbed off of Appa's saddle.

The courtyard was filled with green grass, and a variety of different plants and herbs. A beautiful fountain stood in the center, providing the courtyard with the serene sound of gently flowing water.

"Check out this grass," Aang said, kneeling to touch it. "It's so soft."

"Soft," Sokka repeated. "Just like Foo-Foo Cuddly Poofs."

"Appa seems to be enjoying it," Katara pointed out, and they turned to see the bison rolling around in the grass, moans of pleasure escaping his throat.

"And the flowers … they're so exotic. I've never seen anything like them before."

Katara approached the gently flowing fountain and peered in. The water glowed brilliantly blue. "Look! This is Spirit Water – just like in the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole!"

"This is incredible," Aang repeated for the tenth time. "This place is so beautiful – and you know what that means? _Someone _had to have been here for the past one hundred years to manage it! And that someone must be Air Nomads!"

He turned from the courtyard to large, oak doors leading inside the magnificent building. "Stay put, Appa," Sokka told the bison. Appa didn't seem to mind being left behind this time as he continued to enjoy rolling in the soft grass.

Aang approached the doors, which parted open at his mere touch. Shrugging, he began to make his way towards the dark interior.

"Wait a minute, Aang," Sokka remarked, boomerang in hand. "You can't just _walk _into a place you don't know! What if the inhabitants aren't friendly?"

"Air Nomads not friendly?" Aang was slightly offended at that comment.

"Well you can't be too careful Aang!"

"Whatever," the young monk replied. "I can't _wait_ to play a game of airball with them!" He then entered into the darkness of the temple. He held a small ball of fire in his hands to lighten his surroundings.

"Hello?" Aang began calling out. "Hello?"

"Don't you think it's kind of odd that there's no one here to greet us," Sokka pressed.

"Well … it _is_ still night, Sokka. Maybe everyone's just asleep."

"Or maybe the Fire Nation set a trap for us."

"Sokka, stop it," Katara commanded. "Your paranoia isn't going to help anything."

"Come on, lighten up Sokka." Aang's grin was spreading. "Let's look around some more – we're _bound_ to come across a few Air Nomads!"

Room after room.

Hallway after hallway.

The trio spent a good two hours searching the temple without running across a single soul. "I don't get it," Aang scratched his head. "Where are all the Airbenders?"

"I hate to tell you this, Aang, but this place looks deserted." Sokka shook his head. "I'm sorry, buddy."

"But if it was deserted … what about all the gardens? Who's been managing them?"

"Maybe it's not deserted," an optimistic Katara interrupted. "Maybe the Air Nomads don't want to come out because they're suspicious of us. I mean, you can't really blame them. Their kind has almost been completely wiped out."

"Yea, maybe that's it." Aang gathered up all the air his lungs could take and then shouted in the loudest voice he possibly could.

"AIR NOMADS! IT'S OKAY! I'M NO THREAT – IN FACT, I'M THE AVATAR! MY NAME'S AANG! SO COME ON OUT! I WANT TO MEET YOU!"

He stood there, waiting with baited breath.

There wasn't as much as a peep of response.

"Aang," Katara began, but he cut her off.

"Coming here was a waste of time." He turned and walked away, his staff trailing behind him.

Katara and Sokka looked at each other, unsure of what to say to help their friend.

…

The three of them had once again set up their sleeping bags – this time in the temple's courtyard.

Sokka had swiftly fallen asleep, his snores echoing throughout the court. Katara went to sleep, having long ago learned to tune her brother's troubled sinuses out.

Aang, meanwhile, made no attempt to go to sleep. He had run around in circles across the globe, trying to discover the location of this place, only to find it deserted. He was crushed; he truly was the Last Airbender.

The monk was brought out of his ruminations as he heard the sound of giggling. He quickly perked up, looking around him.

"Hello?"

Momo had also heard the giggling, and he was fully alert as well, his ears poking upward. "You heard it too, Momo?"

Aang suddenly saw something moving from out of the corner of his eye. He could barely make it out, but it was definitely a small figure darting through the courtyard and into the temple.

"Hey, wait!"

Aang chased after the figure, Momo in tow. He entered into the darkness of the temple, using his Firebending to light the way. Again, there was nothing. "Hello?"

He heard giggling once more, and this time he saw a little figure dart around the corner.

"Hey, wait up!" He ran around the corner, only to find nothing yet again.

Suddenly, something small and light landed on his shoulders, and two pairs of tiny hands covered his eyes. There was the giggling again. Aang couldn't help but laugh too.

He reached up and plucked the tiny figure off his shoulders and set it down on the ground again. He took a step back to get a closer look.

It was a little girl, no older than five years old. She had wide, grey eyes (_similar to mine, _Aang thought) and a wide childish grin on her face.

"Hello," Aang said kindly, kneeling down so that they were eye level. "What's your name?"

The little girl merely poked him in the shoulder. "Tag, you're it!" And with that, she took off running.

"Oh, you want to play," he exclaimed, taking off after her. _Dang, she's a fast little thing, _he thought. _Well, a little Airbending will help me catch her. _Using air to propel himself forward, he charged down the hall.

The little girl turned and saw him flying at her. She merely ducked, and Aang couldn't slow down his momentum. _CRASH!_ He collided head on into the wall, and sat there in a daze. "Ow," he moaned, rubbing his head.

The little girl broke down into hysterical laughter, as if that was the funniest thing in the entire world.

"Oh, you think that's funny," he said, and he couldn't help but laugh either.

"You're still it," she taunted, and ran down opposite side of the hallway.

The two spent the entire night playing together.

…

"Guys! Guys! Wake up! There's someone here I want you to meet!" He pounced on Katara and Sokka's sleeping bags. "Wake up! Come on!"

Katara groaned. "Come on, Aang, the sun's barely up."

"There's someone here!"

Katara was fully wakened at that. "Someone's here!" She threw a rock at Sokka. "Wake up you lazy sack!"

"You know, a simple, Sokka, please get up, would've been fine." He stared at them. "What's with all the excitement anyway?"

"I met someone!" He dragged Sokka and Katara out of their sleeping bags and into the temple. "It's a little girl. I don't know her name, but she is the most energetic thing I think I've ever met. Come on, I'll show you!"

He led them right into the foyer of the temple. "Little girl, I'm back. And I'm still it, remember?"

There was no response.

"Come on out, we still have to finish our game!"

He was met with more silence.

"Umm, Aang, are you sure you weren't just dreaming?"

"I was wide awake Sokka. I met a little girl, we played tag, and I told her to wait right here."

"Well, either she's not a very good listener," Sokka mused. "Or you're imagining things." He narrowed his eyes. "Are you _sure _you haven't been hitting the cactus juice."

"I'm telling you she was right here!"

"Hey, what are you doing in _my_ temple," a voice bellowed at them. The trio looked up to see themselves being approached by rough looking older man. Aang bowed politely to him.

"Hi my name is Aang, and I'm -."

"I asked you what you're doing in my temple," the man repeated.

"I'm here looking for Air Nomads."

A faraway look crossed the man's features. "Air Nomads?" He took a few steps closer to Aang, surveying his head. "Those are Airbender tattoos. But … that's impossible…"

"Nope," Aang replied cheerfully. "You see, I'm the Avatar!"

The old man's eyes widened, and he scrambled to the floor, bowing clumsily. "It's an honor to be your presence, Avatar."

"No bowing is necessary … but if you don't mind me asking, who are you?"

The man straightened himself up, puffing his chest out proudly. "The name's Mako, and I'm the caretaker of this temple. I live here with my wife, Naomi."

"Caretaker?"

"Sit, down Avatar … we have much to discuss."

…

"So let me get this straight," Aang stated. "Your entire family has been watching over this temple."

Mako nodded as he prepared some tea. He had led them to a kitchen and sat them all down. His wife Naomi had joined them. "That's right. My grandfather was left to watch over this place by the monks a hundred years ago. It was … shortly after you disappeared…"

"Oh," was all Aang could say.

"It was the duty of our family to take care of the temple. The monks told me that one day, you would return. And so you have."

"But I don't get it," said Katara. "Where are the monks? What happened to all the Air Nomads?"

Mako sighed as he sat down. "It was tragic … after the Fire Nation began slaughtering the Air Nomads, many of them tried migrating here. It was a long, arduous journey, and most didn't survive. The few who did were either too old or exhausted. They brought my grandfather along with them. My grandfather wasn't a bender, but he was friends with the Air Nomads; and he was to take care of them and this temple."

"But then something happened," Naomi piped up. "The Air Nomads who came here started vanishing one by one. Just into thin air."

Mako shook his head. "They began exploring this place in depth, going deeper and deeper to its lower levels. None of us ever explored that far down; spooky stuff would happen, you know? Several of the braver Air Nomads ventured into the cellars. When they vanished, the remaining Air Nomads went down after them. Not one returned." He shuddered. "It was as though something just … took them … out of existence. To this day, I will not go down below to the cellar."

"Freaky," Sokka commented.

"Really freaky," Aang repeated. "What do you think could have happened?"

Mako shrugged. "It's anyone's guess."

"Could be something from the Spirit World," Naomi suggested.

"By why would a spirit snatch Air Nomads," Aang inquired. No one had an answer.

Sokka, meanwhile, was curious about the architecture of the temple. "So, what keeps this thing afloat?"

Mako shrugged again. "No one knows for sure. It's one of the many mysteries of this place."

"But who built it? And why?"

"Well, I don't know why it was built, but I do know who built it. This temple is millennia old. It was built by an ancient Airbender named Avatar Ko-Rei."

Aang perked up at that name. This was the third time he had heard that name. "Tell me what you know about this Avatar Ko-Rei."

Mako sighed. "It's a tragic story. Avatar Ko-Rei was an Air Nomad. As a young boy, he was cheerful and energetic; he just wanted to spend his life having fun. At first he refused to accept his role as the Avatar, and he ran away from the monks."

_ Just like me,_ Aang thought.

"After a while, he came to accept his duties – for the most part. You see, Avatar Ko-Rei met a young woman who changed his life. A Waterbender at that. They became best friends and he fell in love with her -."

"But she didn't love him back," Aang suddenly interrupted.

"Yes. How did you know?"

"I'm not really sure," he said. "It was just like I knew it … instinctually."

"You're right, Aang. She was in love with someone else. Heartbroken, Ko-Rei began distancing himself from his friends and loved ones and began throwing himself into his duty as Avatar. He became efficient in dispensing justice to evildoers – too efficient."

"What do you mean," Aang inquired.

"Even an Avatar can fall, Aang. And that's exactly what happened. Ko-Rei became concerned with peace at any cost. When a group of Earthbender rebels kidnapped one of the ruling families of the Earth Kingdom and held them hostage in exchange for the surrender of Omashu Ko-Rei was absolutely ruthless in dealing with the situation. He razed the rebel's base to the ground, killing them as well as the hostage family. He said he didn't negotiate; that a few lives were unimportant in the grand scheme of things."

"He became a murderer? How? He was an Air Nomad?"

"Ko-Rei abandoned the teachings of the monks. That hostage situation was not an isolated incident. He became so driven for peace that he was willing to destroy anyone and anything that got in his way."

"Man, that's so … so _cold_," Katara muttered.

"So what happened to him?" Aang was horrified that one of his own people could have turned into such a monster.

"The Spirit World had enough. They decided to take swift action. They removed Ko-Rei from the Avatar Cycle – and to punish him, forced him to spend eternity in the Spirit World. To this day, he is forced to spend eternity in isolation, regretting his evil actions and pining for his lost love."

"Man," Sokka said. "That's deep."

"He sounded like an awful monster," Katara said.

"Don't think too harshly of Avatar Ko-Rei," Mako told her. "Given the right circumstances, anyone can be made to fall. No one is immune." His eyes fell on Aang. "Not even the Avatar."

Not liking where this conversation was going, Aang decided to change the subject. "So, who's the little girl running around here," Aang asked.

Naomi and Mako exchanged dark looks. "L-little girl," Mako stuttered.

"Yea, she and I were playing tag a while ago."

"There's no little girl here," Naomi answered dryly.

"Nope; just me and my wife here," Mako answered. "But enough chit-chat; you guys are my guests, and I won't have you sleeping in the courtyard. Come, I'll prepare some nice bedrooms for you."

He and Naomi got up and began leading the way.

Aang couldn't shake the feeling that there was something the two of them weren't telling them.

…

Aang and Sokka were sharing a bedroom in the temple. Katar, being a girl, had been given separate quarters.

"Man," Sokka was saying. "I can't believe that Avatar Ko-Rei dude. I thought Air Nomads didn't believe in killing."

"We don't," Aang replied. "Ko-Rei wasn't a true Air Nomad … he was an … an … _abomination_."

Aang flopped himself onto the bed. "It still stinks though! No Air Nomads are left! After everything we've been through – no Air Nomads! I'm _still _the Last Airbender!" He put his face into a pillow and began screaming into it.

"Hey, chill out buddy," Sokka answered. "Just because there are no Air Nomads here doesn't mean that there aren't any left in the world. We've just got to keep hoping and searching."

"I guess you're right. But after we leave here … I don't know where to start searching. I don't know where to look!"

Sokka paused and thought for a moment. "His wife mentioned her theory that the Spirit World was behind the disappearances of the Air Nomads here. What if she was on to something?"

"What do you mean?"

"Think! You're the Avatar! Maybe if you journeyed into the Spirit World, you could discover what happened! And maybe you could bring the Airbenders back into our world!"

"Sokka, you're a genius!" He quickly embraced his friend.

It was at that moment that Katara came into the bedroom to see her boyfriend warmly embracing her brother. She cleared her throat, and Aang and Sokka let go of each other instantly. "I just had a little visitor to my bedroom," Katara said.

Aang and Sokka saw a little girl, hiding behind Katara's leg.

"It's her," Aang exclaimed. "I told you she was real!"

"Well, she came into my room just now. She wouldn't stop talking about 'Arrow Boy'."

The little girl squealed in delight as she pointed at Aang. "Arrow Boy! Arrow Boy!"

Aang laughed as he kneeled down. "My name's Aang. And what's your name?"

The little girl suddenly became very shy, hiding behind Katara's legs.

"Let me handle this," Katara said. She turned to the little girl. "Would you mind telling us your name?"

"Malu," the little girl answered.

"Malu," Katara repeated. "That's a lovely name. I'm Katara and this is my brother Sokka."

"What up," the warrior boy said.

Malu repeated their names. "Aang. Katara. And Socks."

"Sokka," he corrected.

"Socks," she said more forcefully.

"Hey, how come she can get all your names right, but not mine?"

"Leave her alone," Katara said. "If she wants to call you Socks, just let her."

"I wonder why Mako and Naomi lied to us about her," Aang repeated as he watched Malu playing with Momo.

"Maybe they don't know about her," Sokka guessed.

"A little girl running around the place – it would be kinda hard to miss, Sokka."

Malu stood up and poked Sokka in the leg. "Oww! What was that for?"

"You're it, Socks!" She ran out of the room, laughing giddily.

"My name is Sokka!"

Katara and Aang took off running out of the room, eager to join the little girl in her game. "You heard the lady, Socks," Aang teased from over his shoulder.

"Oh, that tears it! You want me to be 'it' – fine!" He twirled his arms and struck a pose. "Are you ready for the … hurricane?" He charged out of the room, screaming and waving his arms like a maniac.

The game of tag continued for fifteen minutes. Sokka was becoming exhausted. "Come on, guys, let's have a break!"

Malu appeared around a corner. "No break, Socks!" She ran down the corridor.

"That's it, little girl!" He ran after her. Malu tore through a set of doors, Aang and Katara following after her. Sokka charged through, preparing to tag the next person he could. They were on a balcony, with nothing but thousands of feet of air separating them from the ground.

Sokka didn't seem to notice as he continued charging. "Look out, Sokka," Katara screamed.

Sokka noticed the danger too quickly and he lost his footing and fell over the edge of the balcony.

"Socks," screeched Malu.

Aang opened his glider preparing to take off, when he noticed that Sokka wasn't falling. In fact, he was levitating in the air.

"What?" Aang examined the situation to see how Sokka was flying. He realized that an updraft of air was keeping him afloat. That was extremely fortunate. Or was it? His gaze drifted to Malu, who had her arms outstretched and eyes closed as though she were concentrating hard. Aang was completely astonished as the little girl controlled the air, bringing Sokka back to the balcony.

Katara was just as flabbergasted as her boyfriend. "Malu is … is …"

"An Airbender," Aang finished for her.

…

"Mako! Mako!"

The caretaker was startled as his name was called, and he dropped the stack of heavy books he was carrying. "Dagnavit and confound it all," he screeched as he kneeled to pick up the hard-bound editions.

Aang, Katara and Sokka sprinted right for him. "Mako! We have someone to show you," Aang exclaimed. He turned around. "Malu! Come on out!"

Mako's eye twitched. "M-Malu?"

There was no response.

"No more games, Malu," Aang called. "We want you to meet someone!"

Mako's face was turning paler. "W-what do you know about Malu?"

"We just met her," Katara said. "We played tag with her – and you won't believe this – she's an Airbender!"

"That's impossible," Mako stated.

"No it's not," Aang pronounced. "We'll show you if she would just -."

"No," Mako said. "Malu was my daughter!"

"Wait, what do you mean 'was'?"

Mako sighed. "It's impossible for you to have met her because Malu died two years ago!"

…

_The quote that Aang dreamed about is attributed to the famous astronomer, Tycho Brahe._

_ Next chapter will delve more into the history of the Air Nomads, with some more backstory. Aang's whole worldview is about to be shattered._

_R&R please!_


	12. Chapter 12: The Temple II: Dark Avatar

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

…

Book 4:

Air

Chapter twelve: The Temple II: The Dark Avatar

…

~0~

_Tui and La, the moon and ocean have always circled each other in an eternal dance; they balance each other, push and pull, life and death…_

_Yin and Yang…_

~0~

…

"I can't understand this … it makes no sense whatsoever!" Katara and Sokka were seated on Aang's bed, while the Avatar paced back and forth in his room. "How can a _dead_ little girl be up and about playing with us?"

"I'm kind of creeped out about this," an aghast Sokka muttered. "Like … I actually touched a dead person!" He glowered at his raised hands.

"A dead person doesn't have flesh and blood," Katara voiced. "That little girl wasn't a ghost or a spirit … she had a body. She could _physically _interact with us!"

Aang flopped himself down on the floor. "Monk Gyatso told me once … sometimes the barriers between our world and the Spirit World can become blurred. Remember back on the Winter Solstice? Hei Bei was able to enter our world and take people into the Spirit World."

"Let me get this straight," said Sokka. "Hai Bei took _physical _people into the Spirit World during a time of great spiritual distress …"

"So the opposite can be true," Katara continued. "During times of spiritual turmoil, spirits can enter our world _physically._ And it has been a time of spiritual distress, hasn't it?" She counted off her fingers. "Sozin's Comet, the Dark Avatar…"

"What I don't get is why Malu wouldn't have been reincarnated," Sokka queried. "I mean that's what usually happens, right?"

"Right," Aang replied. "It makes no sense." He sighed in frustration. "It's been one dead end after another. I thought I finally found an Airbender, and it turns out that she's deceased! Why can't things just go _my_ way …?"

Katara reached out and touched his shoulder. "Hey, chin up. We'll figure something out."

"Isn't there a library in here," Sokka suddenly remembered.

Aang flopped up. "That's right! I remember passing it when we were playing tag with Malu …" His stomach did somersaults. _That poor little girl._

"Back to square one, I suppose," Katara sighed. "We have to search the library and see if there are any clues of surviving Airbenders."

She and her brother walked out of the room. Muttering under his breath, Aang grabbed his staff and sulked after them.

…

The readings in the library actually proved far more educational to Aang than he originally thought. He learned much about the Air Nomad's culture and history that he hadn't previously known. Katara was sifting through numerous volumes and Sokka, predictably, was fast asleep.

But what was this? There appeared to be several dry, dusty scrolls bunched together. He hadn't noticed them before, but they were incredibly alluring. Unfurling the curled up scrolls, he laid them out on the desk and began absorbing the knowledge contained within.

The scrolls were written by a Monk Akiba, who apparently was the patron monk of this temple.

What really intrigued Aang was the fact that the scrolls were dated from a hundred years ago – in fact, they seemed to have been written only a few weeks before Aang had run away from the Southern Air Temple.

Aang settled back to begin his reading. At first there was nothing much … but the final entry really grabbed his attention…

…

_ The day started out quite uneventful. I was taking my daily stroll around the gardens when I was confronted by that nosy Monk Cui. He hinted for me to stay away from the Avatar … told me that he shouldn't be tampered with, that he needs to progress with his training naturally._

_ The fool._

_ I smiled and told him that I was sure I didn't know what he was talking about. He told me to be absolutely sure that my interest in the Avatar was purely for spiritual enlightenment._

_ If he only knew…_

_ The Air Monks believe in enlightenment … they don't understand. The other Nations understand only one thing … pure, brutal, overwhelming force. The Earth Kingdom's armies are proud and strong … and the Fire Nation is moving for full military mobilization … there is a war coming._

_ But I have a plan, and only a select few monks from the other temples know about it and agree with me. If the other Nations only understand might, we will give them might._

_ This is the dawn of a new era – an era where the Air Nomads shall reign supreme. And the Avatar will help us in our conquest._

_ He will be our main battering ram against the world._

_ Some monks in the Southern Air Temple suspect our intentions. They plan on moving the Avatar to the Eastern Air Temple … far out of my reach._

_ However, this is merely an annoyance. I have Monk Gyatso's full assurance that he will prevent the Avatar from being moved to the east. Gyatso is one of my most trusted agents … he will personally train the Avatar for our conquest._

_ Then yes! Then the Avatar will throw down the other Nations and allow us to set up our Air Theocracy … no more will the Air Nomads bee seen as smiling, mystic monks. We shall have honor, power, respect…_

_ And the Avatar will be our chief instrument…_

…

Aang stopped reading from there. He took the scrolls and shoved them from the desktop in a rage. It couldn't be true – it just couldn't!

Several Air Monks were conspiring to conquer the world – and they were going to use him!

And Gyatso…

Gyatso was in on it.

_No! It can't be! Gyatso was my guardian … he would _never_ do anything like this to me! He couldn't … could he?_

This entry did seem legitimate. But it couldn't be.

But then again, it could.

_Gyatso was my friend!_

_ Or he could have been merely playing you for a fool…_

_ No! I knew him personally! He cared for me!_

_ Or pretended to._

His mind was spinning. The walls seemed to be whirling around like an enormous carousel. His stomach began to heave, his lunch twisting his stomach into a knot.

Air. He needed air. He needed to breathe deep, and relax, and come up with a logical explanation to all this.

_What logic? Gyatso was using you to stage a hostile takeover of the world._

But that made his mentor a … a … a monster! No better than the Fire Nation. Maybe … maybe he got what was coming to him…

_No! Gyatso was innocent! That scroll was a malicious lie!_

_ It has to be … right?_

Katara seemed to notice her boyfriend's current distress. "Aang? Are you alright?" She began moving towards him, trying to discover what was ailing him.

Aang shook his head, stumbling backwards. "No!" He staggered backward out the door, before sprinting down the hallway, tears flying from his eyes.

He could hear Katara's voice shouting after him.

"Aang! AANG!"

The emotional pounding going on in his head drowned out her concerned cries as Aang continued running – with no idea where.

…

The airship lumbered out of the clouds and hovered towards its destination. "We've arrived," an Imperial Firebender announced.

"Excellent, Lieutenant," a cold voice echoed behind him. "Spread out our forces – when our troops land on the temple, form a perimeter. We'll box the Avatar in like the trapped rat he it."

"As you wish, Princess," the lieutenant bowed.

Princess Azula's smirk grew wider as they neared the temple. "You won't escape me this time, Avatar…"

…

Katara watched from the doorway as Aang sat on the railing of one of the temple's balconies, staring ahead at the sky and stroking Momo absentmindedly. She bit her lip, trying to decide whether to speak to her boyfriend or give him some alone time. Something was definitely eating away at him; she surmised that it had to do with whatever he read in the temple.

Finally, she decided to talk to him to discover what it was that was bothering him. She was about to step out onto the balcony, when a hand gripped her shoulder. "Katara, don't," came her brother's voice.

She spun around to tell Sokka off, but the solemn look on his face snuffed out her anger. "You better take a look at this," he said stiffly, holding up a piece of parchment. She recognized it as the one that Aang had been reading earlier.

By the time she finished reading it, there were tears welled up in her eyes. "I – I don't understand … why would the monks …?"

Sokka shook his head. "I don't know …" He motioned for her to follow him back inside the temple. "Let's leave him alone … he needs solitude right now." Nodding, Katara trailed back behind her brother.

…

Aang felt as though his heart were breaking. Everything he knew … everything he was taught … it was all a lie. A sham. He had been sound asleep, but now the sun had risen, he was awake, and the dream had faded.

He was faced with the harsh reality of day.

"Why are you sad, Mr. Aang?"

Aang was about to tell whoever it was to get lost, when he saw that it was Malu. Just looking at the little girl tore at his heart even more. She had died two years ago – her life ripped from her at such a young age.

And yet …

Her she was, in the flesh. And if she were here, flesh and blood, she couldn't be dead, could she?

Aang smiled at the little girl. "It's nothing to concern yourself with, Malu," he said. "Grown-up stuff, you wouldn't be interested."

"Tell me," she pressed.

Aang half smiled. He felt kind of foolish talking to a dead girl … but then again, perhaps she wasn't dead after all.

"What if everything you grew up believing turned out to be false?"

Malu shrugged as she jumped up on the balcony next to Aang. She formed a small air sphere in her hands, and playfully levitated it in the air, allowing Momo to play with it.

"I used to believe in stuff like the bogeyman," she said. "But daddy told me he wasn't real."

_If only that were true._

"I also used to believe that there were guardian angels that would watch over us. They would frighten the boogeyman away. But I guess they aren't real either, but believing they are makes me feel better when I'm feeling blue."

Aang thought deep on her words. "You know, you have a lot of wisdom for a little girl."

Malu was only half listening. She laughed as Momo made a rush for her air sphere, only to have her dissipate it in his face.

"I wish I could have your innocence," Aang continued. "You can just make believe and _poof _– everything's better. But when you grow up … life just doesn't work that way anymore. It's like … puberty hits and everything changes. Suddenly, you can't have fun anymore and you have all these responsibilities thrown at you. And the worst part is that you can remember your childhood and how carefree you were – then when you reach out to grasp at those times, you realize that it is all just a memory that has been scattered away by the wind. And you realize you can never go back…"

Malu "bleched." "Eew, I never want to grow up."

"No one wants to grow up, but it's something we all have to do sometime."

"Not me … if someone tried to force me to grow up, I would just run away!"

_Kind of like I did a hundred years ago,_ Aang thought.

Malu stopped playing with Momo and became very serious all of a sudden. "Daddy told me that when I grow up, I would have to take his place here. I don't want to be confined here forever. I want to fly out of here like Momo. I want _my_ life, not the life someone tells me to have."

Aang eyed her with surprise. "Now _that_ is a very grown-up thing to say."

Malu seemed appalled at that remark. "No way! I'll never grow up! But then, Daddy says I have to. Daddy's very smart … he's always meditating – and one time, he journeyed to the Spirit World!"

Aang's eyes widened. "That's it! The Spirit World! Avatar Roku or some other spirit might know the truth about Monk Gyatso! They could explain all this!" He turned his grinning head to face Malu.

But there was an empty spot where she was sitting.

The little girl had vanished into thin air.

…

"Avatar Roku? _Avatar Roku?_" Aang had meditated on the balcony and journeyed into the Spirit World, looking for his former incarnation.

No response.

"Roku?"

The Spirit World resonated with a loud and clear … nothing.

Roku wasn't responding. Aang looked around. He recognized this place – it was Koh's realm. Perhaps Koh would be able to make heads or tails about all this Gyatso business. After all, he had given him valuable information in the past …

The monk meandered through the thick bog, up the winding pathway and straight into Koh's tree. He hesitated for a minute, before wiping any emotion clean off his face. He then marched forward into the darkness.

_"Avatar Aang,"_ came the Face Stealer's voice from the shadows. _"I must say that I'm quite honored – three visits from the Avatar in the course of a year. What have I done to deserve your presence?"_

"Koh … I need your vast expanses of knowledge." Aang said, appeasing the easily flattered spirit.

_"Oh? What can I do for you today?"_

Aang bit his lip, trying to conceal his emotional. "I just found out that … that Monk Gyatso … he was planning to do something bad …"

Koh eyed him curiously, switching his face to that of a baboon. _"So you've come to me to discover the veracity of this information?"_

Aang nodded.

_"Unfortunately, there are things about the Air Nomads that one would find quite … distasteful. Some Air Nomads were not the enlightened, peaceful monks that the world thought they were. Some had selfish aspirations."_

"The information I read mentioned something about an Air Theocracy …"

_"Ah yes … a world kingdom ruled by the Air Nomads. Yes, I was aware that certain monks were working towards that goal. An insane dream … though an ancient one."_

"What do you mean?"

_"It all goes back to Avatar Ko-Rei. He dreamed of creating the 'perfect world' and he would go to any lengths to attain it. Several millennia later, his dream lived on in the hearts of the monks."_

"But Monk Gyatso …" Aang shook his head. "How? He was my friend, my mentor!" He quickly removed any expression from his face before the Face Stealer noticed.

Koh nodded sympathetically. _"I think you'll find, Aang, that many people are not who they seem…"_

…

Katara was pacing back and forth, while Sokka lounged around. "Poor Aang," she was saying. "He must be devastated by this."

Sokka nodded in agreement. "Man, I can only imagine what he's feeling. If I ever found out that Gran-Gran was involved in some international plot, I think I'd lose my mind!"

_"I got news Sokka, you're already there," _Katara muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. But do you really think that -." She was interrupted by a crash and a sudden scream.

"LEAVE US ALONE! LEAVE US ALONE!"

Katara and Sokka looked at each other. "That was Mako's voice," Katara realized.

"He sounded like he was in trouble," Sokka agreed. The duo sped out of the room.

…

"Who are you people," Mako said defiantly. He and his wife Naomi were on their knees, surrounded by people wearing armor and horrifying war masks.

"It's strange," said the teenage girl that was standing over them, "I would think that you would recognize the Princess of the Fire Nation."

Mako looked at her very seriously. "Who? I've never heard of you!"

Azula's proud smirk dropped into a mask of anger. "Enough with the pleasantries. You're going to tell me something." She kneeled down so that she was eye level with The Caretaker. "Where are the Air Nomads?"

Mako was genuinely puzzled. "Air Nomads? But … there haven't been any Air Nomads here in over a hundred years."

"Stop toying with me! I know that they're hiding around here. I could smell their filth from miles away."

"But there are no Air Nomads!"

Azula's smile was twisted. "In a way I was hoping you wouldn't cooperate. It makes things much more … _fun_!"

"For the umpteenth time – there are no Air Nomads here! How can I tell you where they are if there aren't any?"

The Princess shrugged. "Have it your way then." She snapped her fingers and one of her Imperial Firebenders grabbed his wife.

"NAOMI!"

"So talk, Caretaker. Tell me where the Air Nomads are hiding, or your precious wife will become a little … _hot for you_." She chuckled at her own dark humor.

"You wouldn't!"

Azula laughed. "You're quite ignorant of what people would or wouldn't do. See, you're putting me into an awful bind here. So what happens to your wife is dependent entirely on you."

Mako grit his teeth. His wife was in danger, but how could he tell this girl about nonexistent Air Nomads? _Should I tell her about the Avatar?_

"I … I …" He was stammering.

"Perhaps you need a little more _incentive_." She nodded at the Firebender, who promptly formed a ball of flame in his hand and held it close to Naomi's face.

"WAIT! YOU CAN'T!"

"Then tell me what I need to know," Azula hissed.

Mako paused, hesitating as to whether he should tell her about the Avatar's presence in the temple.

A jet of water passed over their heads, striking the Firebender, who loosened his grip on Naomi. She quickly elbowed him in the stomach, causing him to keel over.

Azula whirled around to see Katara standing there, water streaming around her body. Sokka was behind her, boomerang raised.

"Peasants," Azula said, all of a sudden forgetting about the Caretaker and his wife. "And I assume the Avatar is here with you?"

"I wouldn't worry about him," Katara said furiously. "I would be more worried about us!"

"A Waterbender and her idiot brother versus the Fire Princess and her royal guards. Ooh, I'm shaking."

"You should be," spat Katara. "Considering the butt-kicking we gave you at the Western Air Temple!"

Azula's fingers twitched. "I've had enough from you!" She motioned at her soldiers, who began advancing on the duo.

"Uh, Katara, I really hope you have a plan," Sokka murmured. "I really don't think the two of us can take these guys!"

"I do have a plan – RUN!" A tentacle of water snaked past the Firebenders, grabbing hold of Mako and Naomi and pulling them out of the grip of Azula's men and out of the room.

Grabbing the couple, Katara and Sokka took off down the hallway.

Azula had practically lost her temper. "Don't just stand there slack-jawed! Get them!" The Firebenders darted out the room, preparing to hunt their prey.

"Okay," Mako said as he and Naomi struggled to keep up with the Water Tribe siblings. "We're on the run now … I sure hope you guys have some ideas!"

"Aang's in the Spirit World," Katara replied as they ran a corner. "There's no telling when he'll return to his body."

"So you're telling me we have to wait it out until he comes back?"

"Not unless … maybe we could lead Azula into some kind of a trap," Katara said.

"Leave that to me," Sokka answered. "Do we have any blasting jelly?"

"In the basement," Mako said. "But … I'm not to keen on going down there …"

"We have no choice! Lead the way!"

…

"Ugh, this place reeks! Lead the way, lieutenant." The Firebenders marched through the dark basement, using small balls of fire to illuminate the way.

"Those filthy peasants think that they can hide down here," Azula growled. "Enough of this – we'll flush them out! Lieutenant, set fire to this basement."

The Imperial Firebenders began unleashing bursts of fire, and the basement began to erupt into flames.

…

Katara, Sokka, Mako and Naomi were hiding behind large crates. "Perfect," Sokka exclaimed in hushed tones. "That fire will light that blasting jelly, blowing Azula and all her Firebenders to kingdom come!"

"What about us," inquired Naomi.

"We're far enough back that we shouldn't be blown up," Sokka explained. "We filled that canister with just enough blasting jelly to blow them up, but to spare us. And Azula … she did exactly what I thought she would."

The flames spread across the other side of the basement, as Azula continued to call out to all of them. "Come out, peasants! You can't hide from me!"

The flames moved directly towards the barrel of blasting jelly Sokka had previously set up. The foursome waited with baited breath for the barrel to explode and save them from Azula.

They waited.

And they waited.

"Nothing's happening," Katara exclaimed.

Sokka rubbed his chin. "Maybe it's a dud …"

"I can hear you, peasants," they heard Azula say. "You're speaking too loud!" The crates were kicked aside as they were enclosed by Imperial Firebenders. Azula pushed her way through. "Well, haven't we all had a nice little game of ring-around-the-rosy? Well that ends now. Not even your Avatar will save you this time!"

She nodded for her troops to finish the group off. The leader stepped forward, his fist pulled back, preparing to open fire, when suddenly something dripped from the ceiling onto his shoulder. "What the…?"

It was a shapeless black, gooey mass that landed on his armor. And suddenly, the mass quickly leaped from the troop's shoulder and landed directly on his face. "Aagh! Get it off of me!" He flailed around, trying unsuccessfully to pry the shapeless creature from his face. He finally collapsed on the ground, and the goo slid off his head.

Katara let out a frightened gasp. The man's face had been wiped clean from his head, leaving only smooth skin. Then something even weirder happened.

The goo began changing shape. It began growing taller, broadening, forming limbs, until it took the form of a person. And it had the same face as its hapless victim.

"It stole his face," Sokka muttered. "That – that … plasma face-thief… it just stole that guy's face!"

The "plasma thief" turned and grinned, his face an exact replica of his victim. Behind him, emerging from the shadows, more gooey plasma thieves slithered into view, looking for new prey from which to harvest faces.

…

"So, what you're telling me is that everything I ever believed in was a lie?" Aang could feel his heart rending in his chest. _Gyatso … how could you?_

Koh slinked around the boy, his face masked with pity. _"Don't make the fatal mistake of looking to the past, Avatar. Your duty is to the world – the present world. What you learned about your former teacher has no bearing on your task at hand. To restore balance to the world by restoring the Air Nomads."_

_But what if the Air Nomads don't _deserve_ to be brought back,_ thought Aang.

Koh suddenly stopped. _"Your friends are in danger,"_ he said. _"The Fire Princess has found them."_

Aang nodded, trying to cover up his anxiety. "I must save them. Thank you, Koh."

"_Hurry,"_ the spirit warned. _"I've sent some of my … allies to protect your friends, but I fear that not even they can stop the Princess."_

Aang respectfully bowed and then walked calmly out of Koh's tree. Once outside, he bolted into a run towards the spirit portal.

The spirit, Enma, saw him coming, and acted as though he were meditating in the hopes that the Avatar didn't feel like chit-chatting.

"No time to talk, Enma," Aang yelled as he ran past.

_"Fine by me,"_ was the spirit's indignant response.

The Avatar came to the spirit portal, before entering through to the other side.

…

"What are these things," Azula howled as the shapeless plasma thieves sprang at her men from all directions. "What in Agni's name are these?"

Another soldier had his face stolen by the gooey creature. Azula whirled around to see one of them coming right at her face. With a roar, she unleashed a blast of blue fire, leaving a scorch mark on the ground where the plasma thief was moments ago.

"The heck with this," one Firebender screamed. "I'm getting out of here!" He bolted away from the excitement, frantically followed by several others.

"Come back you cowards," the Princess roared. Only three Imperial Firebenders remained by their Princess' side.

In the confusion, Sokka, Katara, Mako and Naomi began to edge their way out of the chaos. "Those things seem far more interested in Azula and her gang," Sokka pointed out. "This is our chance – let's go!"

The foursome darted through the darkness of the basement, desperately trying to drown out the frightened screams of the Imperial Firebenders below.

Back upstairs, the group reconvened in the lush gardens. "We have to leave this temple," Sokka said. "Get Aang and get as far away as possible!"

"I – I can't," Mako stammered. "My family's sacred duty is to protect this place!"

Sokka got in his face. "Do you really want to be left behind here with a raging mad psychopathic Princess and some freaky face stealers? 'Cuz we can leave without you!"

"I don't want my face stolen," Naomi whimpered.

"You got a good point kid," Mako said, resigned. "But … I don't know - starting a new life in the outside world … I've never needed to leave this temple, what with growing my own food at all."

"You have no choice," Sokka replied. "We have to find Aang and leave!"

"None of you are going anywhere!" They all whirled around to see a disheveled Azula exiting the temple and entering the gardens. "None of you are leaving here alive!"

"Ugh, I was hoping one of those things would have gotten you," Sokka growled.

Azula smirked. "I managed to slip away while they were preoccupied with my men."

"You … you didn't even _try _to help them?" Katara's fists were clenched.

"Each one of those soldiers is easily replaceable. It's not like I'm actually losing anything _that _important. They sacrificed themselves for me … a more noble cause I could not think of."

"They should have let those things take you," spat Sokka.

"I can see how angry this all makes you," she taunted. "Does it make you angry enough to attack me?"

"You're just a monster with no soul," Sokka practically screamed.

"Monster? Please, my own mother believed I was a monster. What do I care if a peasant thinks the same?"

"Yaargh!" Sokka charged forward, sword in hand.

Azula smiled. Just like on the Day of Black Sun, she had pushed him into a blind rage. And now he would pay dearly. A blue flame flickered in her hand, and as soon as he got within a foot of her, he would be receiving a nice face full of it. She snickered as she thought about giving him a scar to match Zuko's.

A gust of wind blew Sokka out of the way as a burst of fire shot from the Princess' hand, missing Sokka by a mile.

Aang landed in the garden, the butt of his staff pointed at his archenemy. "That's enough Azula!"

"Avatar … I was wondering when you would make your grand appearance. Just in time to save your pathetic friends, as always."

"I'm going to end this once and for all! I won't allow you to hurt anyone ever again!"

"Ha! Prepare to join your extinct people!"

The two circled as Azula unleashed a small spurt of fire. Aang spun his staff like a windmill, deflecting the attack. They circled each other, testing each other out.

Azula kicked some fire at Aang's legs, and the monk jumped straight up, over the attack. When he landed, he brought his staff down, hurtling more wind at his foe. Azula staggered backward, barely maintaining her balance.

She swirled more fire in her hands, firing wildly at him.

"We have to help Aang," Katara yelled, pulling more water out of her satchel.

"Wait," Sokka said. "I have an idea! We need to immobilize Azula … then Aang can take away her bending like he did with Fire Lord Ozai!"

"How," inquired Katara.

Sokka gazed at his hands. "Suki's been trying to teach me some of Ty Lee's chi blocking techniques. If I can hit just the right pressure point – _BAM_! Azula is down for the count!"

"But how can you get close enough?"

"You and Aang have to distract her!"

A yell suddenly caught their attention and they spun their heads in time to see Aang thrown back by a blast of flame.

"That's it," Katara screeched, throwing a wave of water at the maniacal Firebender. Azula saw the incoming attack, and unleashed a superheated counter-attack. The heat was so great that it instantly turned Katara's water into steam.

Aang was back on his feet, kicking boulders at the Princess. Azula merely blasted them into smithereens.

The Avatar and the Waterbender stood side by side, as Azula continued her assault. All four elements flew around the gardens with impunity, nearly leveling the entire complex.

"Face it, Avatar," Azula laughed as ducked under a flying boulder and unleashed more fire. "Even after mastering all four elements, you're still no match for me!"

"Yea," Aang retorted. "Then why are you sweating and panting?"

Her eye twitched. "That's enough of your lip, Avatar. I'm ending you right now!" And she began generating lightning.

"SOKKA STRIKE!" Sokka's battle cry echoed into the night as he jabbed his knuckles into the side of Azula's neck. Azula just stood there, eyeing him questioningly.

"Um, _what_ exactly were you planning to do with that move?"

"Dang, I was so _sure_ that chi-blocking move would work! Guess I need more practice."

"No, you just need to DIE!" The Princess kicked Sokka's feet out from under him, throwing him to the ground. She towered over him, preparing to fill his body with over five hundred volts of electricity.

But she suddenly found her feet encased in rock, giving Sokka the time he needed to scramble away. She spun her head to see Aang encasing her legs with Earthbending.

"I don't think so, Avatar!" She bent over, preparing to melt the boulders off her feet, when her hands were encased in more rock. So now Azula was in an awkward and uncomfortable position, bent over, with arms and legs trapped in the ground.

She let out a cry of rage and she opened her mouth wide, prepared to unleash flames from her jaws in an effort to free herself.

This was the moment Katara had been waiting for. When Azula opened her mouth, she instantly shot a glob of water into her mouth, freezing it.

Aang took a few moments to catch his breath. This was it. This time, they had finally defeated Azula – for good. Now there was the matter of removing her Firebending and the deed would be done.

The monk sauntered over to the entrapped Princess, who was screaming pathetically from behind her frozen mouth. Her eyes widened in desperation as Aang placed two fingers on her forehead and neckline.

_It ends._

Azula shook her head, desperate to shake the boy off. No! She wouldn't allow this to happen! She wouldn't end up like her father! She was a prodigy – her Firebending was all she had! It gave her power, it gave her confidence; her weapon, her tool! The essence of who she was.

She would not allow a part of herself to stripped away.

She was fire itself. Uncontrollable, unstable, pure, devastating, consuming everything in her path.

She would not be made into a weakling.

Her anger and desperation grew stronger, her emotions spinning violently out of control. As Aang prepared to begin the process of taking Azula's bending away, a surge of energy suddenly emanated from the Princess' body, blasting Aang off his feet.

"AANG!"

Katara's scream of fright tore at his heart.

Something was wrong here. Something was _terribly _wrong!

Katara and Sokka helped the monk to his feet and they all stared at Azula.

The Princess was still trapped in the earth, her head down – but her body was crackling with pure energy. Her head suddenly shot up, and pure, black light flowed out of her eyes. In an instant, her earthen bindings were shattered, and the water frozen in her mouth turned to steam.

Azula was free.

And now she was levitating up into night sky, surrounded by a sphere of air.

"What's happening," a panicked Sokka yelled as fierce winds berated him.

Aang fell to his knees in shock. "It's her. Azula is Yang … Azula is the Dark Avatar!"

Azula's face was expressionless as the glowing eyes narrowed. She spread her hands out, and the ground began to give way beneath them. She punched her fist, and a wall in the temple automatically caved in.

It was then that Aang realized … "She can't control her Dark Avatar State! She's lost all rhyme and reason! I don't think she's even aware of where she is right now!"

"So what do we do," Sokka asked through the gusting wind.

"We can't fight her," Aang replied. "In her Dark Avatar State, she's too strong – we'd be crushed into dirt!"

"So … how about we get the heck out of here?"

"I agree with Sokka," Katara said. "Let's go!"

The ground continued to give way beneath them as Azula mindlessly began destroying the temple with her insurmountable powers. Her mind was filled with so much pure rage that she was so intent on destroying the entire building; she seemed to have forgotten that her enemies were there.

Aang blew into his bison whistle, and in a moment, Appa was there. "Hurry," Aang exclaimed as he pushed Mako and Naomi in the saddle.

"Are you sure this thing is safe," Naomi posited.

"Now is not the time," hissed Sokka.

The group boarded the bison and Aang hurriedly flicked the reins. "Yip-yip!" And Appa was off into the night sky, taking them as far away from the temple as possible.

Mako, Naomi and Aang turned around in Appa's saddle, and watched sadly as several of the temple's spires collapsed under the Princess' power. "My home …" Mako shook his head sadly as the fifth air temple was absolutely destroyed.

His home was gone.

When Appa had taken them several miles away from the temple, it was then that everyone decided it was okay to talk. Sokka was practically trembling. "Okay, someone _please_ explain to me what just happened!"

"Azula entered the Dark Avatar State," Aang answered. "My guess is that just like the Avatar State, she enters it as a self-defense mechanism. When I went to take away her bending, it probably pushed her over the edge."

"I don't remember seeing anything like that before," commented Katara. She thought back for a second. "Wait … now that I think of it, it was very similar to the time when I chained her down during Sozin's Comet. She … she entered this blind rage." She looked very seriously at Aang. "She was probably on the verge of entering the Dark Avatar State that night, but for some reason, she didn't follow through. I don't think she's even been aware that she's the Dark Avatar."

"Okay, so now what we do," asked Sokka.

"We have to find the others," Aang explained. "Zuko and Toph. We're going to need their help if we're going to defeat Azula before the Autumnal Equinox."

Sokka slumped forward. "This is _great_! As soon we beat the Fire Lord, now we have an even badder villain to stop – with a shorter timeline and everything!"

"We still have a chance though," Katara mused. "Azula's going to have to master all four elements – and the Dark Avatar State. Assuming we don't push her over the edge again, we could probably defeat her no problem. Right, Aang?"

"Yea, I guess," he responded, only half-listening. "Hey, Sokka – could you pilot Appa for a little bit. I need to lie down."

Trading places with his friend, Aang curled up in the saddle. Katara put a blanket over him to keep him warm.

But Aang's mind was too full to get any sleep that night.

He wasn't thinking about stopping Azula – not at all.

His mind was drifting to Gyatso, and the Air Nomads. This new revelation had shattered him. Everything he believed in was gone. The illusion had been broken, and reality had fully set in.

He got no sleep that night.

_His downward spiral was just beginning…_

…


	13. Chapter 13: Repercussions

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

…

Book 4:

Air

Chapter thirteen: Repercussions

…

"I'm bored! I'm bored! I'm bored! I'm bored! I'm bored!"

"If you don't stop saying 'I'm bored', I swear I'll cut your voice box out!" A gleaming dagger appeared in Mai's hand.

"_Okaaay, _relax Gloom Girl." Toph blew a strand of hair out of her eyes as she reclined on her bed. "It's just that there's nothing to do on this stinken' boat. I'm going crazy!"

The group had bought passage on a passenger liner that was bound from Ba Sing Se towards the southern portion of the Earth Kingdom. None of them had any clue as to where Aang and the others were, but Zuko surmised that the southern Earth Kingdom, being near the Southern Water Tribe, was a good place to start. Or at least get a lead.

"Why don't you go bother Jin or something?" Mai aimed her dagger at a small picture of Jin she had drawn that was hanging on the wall. The picture had devil horns and a pitchfork colored in. BAM! Her blade had pierced right through the picture's chest. Mai smirked. _"Bullseye."_

Toph sat up on the side of the bed. "Well, I can't bother her right now – she's too busy chatting it up with Zuko," she replied slyly.

Mai's eyes narrowed to slits. "She's where?" She struggled to keep her emotions in check.

"Talking to Zuko," Toph repeated. _This ought to be good._

Mai rose to her feet, wrenched the dagger out of the poster and slammed her way out of the room, leaving a grinning Toph behind.

_Finally some excitement!_

…

"You know, you don't always have to be so sour, Zuko," Jin was saying. She had followed Zuko to the upper deck of the ship, where he leaned over the railing, staring at the horizon. Little children ran about the deck, playing with a ball.

"It would be nice to have children someday," Jin remarked as she absentmindedly twirled her hair. Her eyes darted to Zuko, to see his response.

"I suppose so – I've never really thought about me and Mai being parents."

Jin bleched. "Her? I don't think she has the emotionality to be a mother."

Zuko chuckled. "You don't know Mai. She might have a rough exterior, but when no one's around, and it's just me and her … it's like she becomes a different person. She'd be a great mother."

Jin shrugged. "As long as she remembers to keep those throwing knives of hers out of the children's reach." She leaned closer. "Besides, you need someone who's not afraid to show her emotions for you in public."

_"Ahem." _The sound of a throat clearing caused both of them to whirl around to see a very annoyed Mai.

"Oh, I was just leaving," Jin said.

Mai's eyes were narrowed so much that they appeared fully closed. "Yeah, you were," she replied icily.

Jin walked past the girl, and as they did, their eyes met. There was a tense moment of electricity between the two, and then the moment passed as Jin went back below deck.

Mai sheathed her knife.

"Talk about cold," Zuko joked. Mai shot him a withering glare.

"You may be oblivious to what's going on around here, Zuko. But I'm not stupid. I've watched that girl shamelessly throw herself at you time and again. She's trying to steal you away from me."

"Oh come on Mai. Sure, Jin may have a little crush on me, but that doesn't mean she would _actually _try something on a guy that already has a girlfriend."

"You're too quick to trust people, Zuko."

"Okay Mai, supposing you are right and Jin is trying to steal me away from you. Do you really think I would ever betray you like that?" He looked at her with his deep, piercing eyes.

She lowered her head. "No. But … I'm just afraid that … with the way she keeps blatantly throwing herself at you … in the heat of the moment or something …"

Zuko cupped her face, forcing her to look at him. "Mai, I promise. No girl will _ever_ get in the way of us. You're the only one for me." He leaned in to kiss her, but she pushed him away. He responded with a throaty growl. "What? Do I have bad breath or something?"

"No … oh well, yea you do … but that's not it…"

"Well then, why won't you kiss me?"

Mai jerked her thumb at the crowd of children who had suddenly become very interested in what they were doing. "People are watching us. You know I'm not … _comfortable_ … with public displays of affection. We'll make out later." She turned and glided down the stairs to the bottom of the deck.

Zuko stood there, annoyed.

The kids added to his frustration.

_"Scar-boy and Pale-girl sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G."_

"SHUT IT," he yelled at them.

"Say it, don't spray it," the kid responded. "I don't want to catch whatever cooties that girl gave you." He returned to playing ball with his mates.

Zuko sighed and shook his head, wondering how he could get Mai to publicly show affection.

…

The Fire Nation airship glided through the clouds on its return trip to the Fire Nation.

Inside of her private chambers, the Princess sat brushing her hair in front of her vanity. She had changed out of her battle armor and into her night robe. Right now, she just wanted to relax.

_So it's true,_ she thought to herself. _The legend of the Dark Avatar is true after all. But I never would have thought in a hundred years that it was me. But then … why not? After all, I am the Princess of the Fire Nation, heir to the throne, the most powerful Firebender in history. Why wouldn't the Dark Avatar Spirit choose me?_

She smirked at herself in the mirror as she laid her hairbrush down on her vanity. _Soon I won't be just the most powerful Firebender – I'll be the most powerful bender period! _

She had shamed her father with her disgraceful defeat at the hands of her dishonored brother and that water peasant … but now she would redeem herself in her father's eyes. She would regain her honor. And as the Dark Avatar, she would stand beside her father as he became the supreme ruler of the world.

She relished the thought as she began to tie her hair back into her signature bun. Several strands fell out of place. "Stupid hair," she growled. She began opening her dresser. "Where are those stupid scissors?"

_"Azula … you always had such beautiful hair."_

Azula stopped short as she glared into the mirror. Standing behind her was her mother, Ursa. "What are _you_ doing here," she snarled. Her voice dripped with contempt.

_"I've come back to you. I've missed you Azula."_

"If you missed me so much, then _why_ did you leave me all those years ago? Answer me that, Mother!" She folded her arms and reclined back in her chair.

_"That's not important right now. All that matters is that I'm back and I want love you. I want to be your mother again, Azula."_

"Why would you want to be _my_ mother? Who would want to be the parent of a monster, _right mother_? Isn't that what you thought I was all along? _A MONSTER!"_

_ "No Azula. I love you!"_

_ "LIES! You left me because you think I'm a monster – a filthy beast!"_

"Princess?" The knocking on her door brought her back to a sense of reality. "What is it, Lieutenant?"

"Princess … we uh … we appear to have a stowaway."

"So? Just throw him in the brig, see if I care!"

"No Princess. I really think you ought to take a look at this."

"Fine! Give me five minutes! Take the prisoner to the bridge, I'll meet you there!"

She disrobed and began placing her armor back on. She glared back at the mirror. "What, nothing to say, Mother? Aren't you going to chastise me for wanting to throw that prisoner into the brig?"

There was no response.

The image of Ursa in the mirror had vanished. Azula rubbed her eyes fiercely. "Stupid woman."

…

"Alright, Lieutenant. What is _so _dang important that it had to interrupt my relaxation?"

"This, Your Highness." He snapped his fingers and two soldiers came into view, carrying a struggling child between them. The little girl thrashed about, desperately trying to free herself.

"Let me go, you big meanies!"

"We suspect she snuck aboard during the destruction of the temple, though we can't say for certain."

Rolling her eyes, Azula decided to try the "nice" approach. Leaning forward so that she was eye level with her captive she said, "So little girl, what's your name?"

"My daddy says not to talk to strangers, you butthead!"

Azula's eye twitched. "Butthead? That's it, you little, sniveling, grimy -." She stopped herself short as she realized how ridiculous she looked, a teenager arguing with a small child.

"Lieutenant, take her to the brig. Make sure she stays fed and groomed. Once we reach the Fire Nation we can put her to work in the mines with all the other little demon spawn the Fire Nation produces."

"Yes, Princess." He led the prisoner away.

The little girl turned her head and stuck her tongue out at the Princess. "You stink, you Poo-poo Head!"

Azula clenched her fist, a slight twitch appearing in her jaw. "Yea, well enjoy your time in the brig. Then we'll find out who's the _real _Poo-poo Head!" She sighed in triumph as the girl was led away. "Now that made me feel better."

"How does trash-talking a little kid and sending her to prison make you feel better," a naïve new recruit asked.

Azula responded by kicking him across the room with a blast of blue fire.

…

Aang remained steadfast as he piloted the flying bison through the cloudy sky. "There's a town not far from here," he sternly announced.

Mako leaned forward expectantly. "You can drop Naomi and me off there … we don't want to be a burden on you guys any longer."

"Are you sure," Aang asked. "I mean, you guys can stay with us if you want…"

"Thank you for the kind offer, Avatar, but we need to move on with our lives…"

Aang landed Appa on the outskirts of the town, and they prepared to see the couple off. "What will you guys do now," inquired Katara.

Mako beamed. "Naomi and I have spent practically our entire lives cramped inside that temple. Even though I'm saddened that it's gone, in a way I feel as though a weight's been lifted off my shoulders. Naomi and I have some money saved … we can travel throughout the Earth Kingdom, see all the sights …"

Aang nodded as he bowed respectfully. "It's been an honor meeting you, Mako."

He bowed back. "It's been an honor serving you, Avatar Aang. You've saved the world thousands of times in thousands of lifetimes. I'm fully confident you'll do so again."

…

The trio decided to spend the night in town; they rented two bedrooms, one for Aang and Sokka and another for Katara. The female Waterbender went out to get some supplies, allowing Aang to relax back at the inn. Sokka snored loudly (even though the sun hadn't set yet) and Aang just lay awake, staring at the ceiling.

_How? How could Gyatso do this to me?_

It was as if his past were merely an illusion; and now the fantasy was broken and Aang was forced to face the truth about his mentor. "Mentor" was the wrong word – Gyatso was no mentor at all; he was a covert enemy, working against the world and against the Avatar.

_Against me._

His thoughts were broken as the door to his bedroom was wildly flung open and a joyous Katara bounced in. Aang sat up on his bed. "You look excited about something."

She nodded. "Here. Read this." She shoved a flyer into his hand and his eyes scanned the paper's contents.

"The town's having a dance competition tonight," he replied. "So what?"

"_Sooo_, I was thinking maybe we could go. We had such a blast at that dance party you held in the Fire Nation a couple months ago, why not do it again? We could even win first place!"

It was at that moment that Sokka woke up. "Is there a prize," was his immediate question.

Katara nodded. "A big one. A hundred gold coins."

"Enter it," said Sokka. He rubbed his hands greedily. "All the meat we could buy with that…"

"I don't think so," Aang answered. "I'm not in the mood to do much of anything. All I want is to get out there and stop Azula. I just want to get some sleep, and then first thing in the morning I want to go after her!"

"I agree with you," Katara replied. "But having a little fun might do you some good. How are you going to stop Azula if you're in a sourpuss mood?"

"Look, I'm sorry if I'm being a sourpuss, but can you blame me? I just discover my mentor was trying to use me to conquer the world and now we have a psychopathic Dark Avatar on the loose!"

Katara jutted her lower lip out in a pout.

"That's not going to work on me, Katara. Not this time." Her eyes grew wider, and Aang grew more exacerbated. "Can't you just take Sokka?"

Katara rolled her eyes. "Sokka has a hard time just standing on his own two feet." She sighed. "I guess if you won't be my partner, I can find someone else … I noticed some _very_ cute guys in town. Maybe one of them will dance with me … Imagine … our bodies pressed up against each other…" She let that sink in.

"Point taken," Aang immediately interjected. Grumbling, he grabbed his staff and stood up. "Come on, let's do this."

"Yay," Katara giggled. She locked arms with her boyfriend and led him outside.

"Don't stay out too late you two," Sokka called after them.

…

"Finally … the southern Earth Kingdom," Zuko exclaimed as he, Mai and Jin descended the ship's exit ramp.

"Do you really think we'll find any leads around here that'll lead us to the Avatar," Jin asked.

"Hopefully. Last I heard, Aang, Katara and Sokka were heading to the Southern Air Temple."

"But that was weeks ago," Mai said. "They could have been anywhere by now."

"Yea, but hopefully, somebody in the vicinity knows in what direction they were headed." He stopped suddenly. "Wait a minute … where's Toph?"

"Hey everybody," came the blind girl's voice. They whirled around to see Toph appear at the top of the ship's ramp. "May I present, Mrs. Prissyfingers!"

From behind her emerged Bosco the bear – and riding on his back, still under Dai Li hypnosis, was the Earth King. Except his entire face was covered in makeup, and he was wearing a wide-brimmed woman's hat – with a feather. A really, really big feather.

Zuko was incredulous, but he couldn't help laughing. "That's … that's so messed up."

The hypnotized Earth King rode Bosco down the ramp, his eyes glazed over and mouth hanging slack.

"But wait," Jin interjected through her laughter, "Toph's blind. She couldn't have applied the makeup all by herself."

Zuko nodded. "You're right. Someone had to help her …." His eyes drifted to Mai, who was trying to suppress a tiny smirk. "As a matter of fact, that kind of looks like some of your makeup, Mai."

"That's because it is."

The Firebender's eyes widened. "Mai, you _do_ have a sense of humor after all."

"Don't make too much of it," she replied stiffly.

Toph leaped from the top of the ramp and rubbed her face across the grass. "So good to feel some nice, firm ground beneath my toes! Remind me never to travel by sea ever again – Appa's a breeze in the park by comparison!"

"So … what now," Jin asked.

"Yea Sparkey, how do we find Twinkletoes?"

Zuko rubbed his chin. "Well, there are a number of places we can start … we could head to the South Pole …"

"No thanks," Toph said. "I'd like to remain on dry, _warm_ land, thank you very much."

"Or maybe the Southern Air Temple."

"Sounds like a good place to start," Toph muttered.

"You won't find him there," came a stern voice behind them. Zuko whirled around to see a group of boys wearing blue standing there.

"Uh, who are you and why are you butting into our conversation," Toph chided.

"Forgive me," the lead boy said. "My name is Shien, and these are my friends. We're the Warriors of Kuruk."

Zuko raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh… And how exactly do you know Aang?"

"We encountered him a couple of weeks ago on Kyoshi Island."

"So you must know the Kyoshi Warriors."

"Right…. We spar with them occasionally … my boys and I are actually here to engage in a martial arts competition in the Earth Kingdom … But anyway, last we saw Aang, he was searching all four air temples for a 'fifth' air temple."

Zuko rubbed his eyes. "Great. So that means he can be anywhere by now!"

"Pretty much, yea."

"Well … thanks for the info … uh …"

"Shien," the boy finished for him. The Warriors of Kuruk turned and continued on their way.

Toph was ready to bang her head against a tree in frustration. "So now how do you propose we find Twinkletoes?"

"We're going to need an expert tracker … and I think I know where to find one …"

The blind Earthbender groaned. "Please tell me we're not going to go see that June lady and her crazy Shirshu."

…

"Oh, this is so exciting," Katara leaped.

"Whoopie." Aang twirled his finger in sarcasm.

"Oh, don't be such a stick in the mud. Come on – enjoy yourself."

"Kinda hard to do that with everything that I've been through," he answered.

"Please … just try to have some fun – for my sake."

"Fine."

The couple came to the center of the town, where a large, square, platform had been raised up, presumably the location of the contest. There were glowing lanterns, burning incense, etc. It made for quite a romantic mood.

"Aaw, look at all the other couples here," Katara pointed out.

"Fantastic," Aang grumbled.

"Come on, look at how happy they all look together – it's so romantic! Aaw, look at that elderly couple over there!"

The Avatar's eyes fell on the elderly couple, who were passionately kissing. "Hold on a second," the old woman was saying. "I can't get my lips on yours … let me get my false teeth out." Aang had to look away in disgust.

"So beautiful," a misty eyed Katara commented.

Another, very obnoxious couple approached the two of them. "Hey, so where are you guys from?"

Katara beamed. "I'm from the Southern Water Tribe, and my boyfriend, Aang here, is originally from the Southern Air Temple."

"Goodness gracious me," the woman replied. "I-I didn't realize that I was in the presence of the Avatar!" She and her husband clumsily bowed.

"That's not really necessary…"

Whispers ran through the crowd.

_"The Avatar?"_

_ "Do you really think it's him?"_

_ "Look at that arrow!"_

Aang continued to grow uncomfortable as he realized that all eyes were on him. He smiled sheepishly.

People couldn't whisper for long as a robed gentleman approached a podium. "Ladies and gentleman, in accordance with our town's ancient tradition, let us now enjoy our dance competition – commemorating our town's patron spirit, Shen Leah."

"Ooh, exciting," Katara rambled. "I wonder who Shen Leah was?"

The annoying couple next to them stared at them deadbeat. "You don't know who Shen Lea is?" Katara shook her head. "Shen Leah is a spirit that occasionally haunts our town. According to legend, she was a young dancer who fell madly in love with a young man in the military. One day, he got a little too arrogant, and boasted that he could defeat even a spirit in combat. To punish him for his insult against the Spirits, Koh the Face Stealer came and took Shen Leah's face."

"How horrible," Katara commented.

"Indeed. Legend has it that every once in a while, she'll return to look for her lover. But since she doesn't have a face anymore, she can't tell which man is her lover, so she'll take any male she finds. She appears as a young woman whose face is hidden behind a veil … she puts a spell on the man so he finds her irresistible. She lures him into the Spirit World and _POOF! _He's never seen again. Every year, we hold an annual dance in her honor."

Katara clasped her hands together. "It's so romantic how she's still searching for her love!"

Aang's eyebrows were raised. "You think it's _romantic_?"

"Yea, don't you?"

"No! It's quite disturbing to say the least…"

Katara shrugged. "Say what you will … I still say it's sweet. But forget it – look. The dance contest is beginning."

"Lucky me," he mumbled. He did, however, perk up when he found it was a slow dance…

…

Azula was busy in her bed, painting her toenails and humming to herself.

_"Humming? I never hear you sing, Azula. You have a lovely voice."_

Snarling, the Princess jerked her head upward. "Back again, Mother? You don't give up. But what's this about wanting to hear me sing?"

Ursa appeared in the mirror again. _"We always used to sing together when you were a little girl."_

"Yes. You sang to the 'monster' to placate it, isn't that right, Mother?"

_"Of course not."_

"If you want me to sing so bad, how about this – when you die, I'll come and sing at your funeral. Maybe I'll do a little jig on your grave too!"

_"Azula … that's a horrible thing to say to your mother…"_

"Oh, you're my 'mother' now, huh? How funny … with the way you used to treat Zuko, I would've thought you had only _one_ child!"

_"That's not true, Azula. I deeply care for you, as any mother would."_

Azula strode over to the mirror. "Is that so?"

Ursa nodded from the mirror. _"Oh Azula … just looking at you … you're face is growing to resemble mine more and more…"_

"Don't you dare compare yourself to me!"

_"Why won't you let me in, Azula? Why won't you let me love you?"_

"_Let_ you love me? I've been trying to let you love me for my entire life! The whole time you were away, I used to lie awake at night, wondering if you were thinking about me! _Do you have any idea of what that does to a little girl? _You don't love me … you _never _loved me!"

_"That's not true, Azula. I love you. I really do."_

"LIAR!"

Azula's rage had reached its breaking point. At first she saw red; then she saw white hot light all around her as she entered a blind rage.

Then she saw nothing at all.

…

"Katara, can we leave yet?"

"Already? But we've only been here for a half hour!"

"I know, but … I don't like how everyone's staring at me."

Indeed, all eyes were on the monk as they tried dancing.

"Come on, Aang. We can win this. Look, three people have already been disqualified!"

Two couples had already been disqualified for tiring out, and another couple had attempted to cheat, and failed miserably. Those disqualified were forced to sit in bleachers designated, "Loser Box."

"So we better win this, Aang. I don't want to sit in the Loser Box."

"Katara, can we please … I'm really not into this at all."

She instantly stopped. "What's wrong," she asked, going into mom mode. "You're usually so excited and hyper."

"What's wrong is that we should be trying to stop Azula instead of prancing around some hick town!"

"Aang, lower your voice – people are starting to stare." She smiled at them, before placing her hands on Aang's shoulders and attempting to get him started dancing again.

"Let them stare! Listen Katara, my only concern is stopping the end of the world before it's too late! Believe it or not, there are more important things in the world than dancing!"

"Excuse me for trying to cheer up my boyfriend and spend some quality time with him! I really don't know why you're so upset. I mean, I'm only trying to help!"

"You want to help? Then stop _trying _to help and actually _do_ something!" He stopped instantly as he realized the hurtfulness of his words. "Katara, I'm sorry, I didn't mean -."

"What's come over you," she asked incredulously. She backed away, not really wanting to touch him. "It's like, ever since we came back from the fifth air temple, you've had this anger inside you – and it's been growing."

"Katara, I'm sorry."

"I think I need to go to bed. I don't want to be around you when you're like this. Maybe after you've had some sleep, you'll be in a better mood, but for now, I think we need to spend the rest of the night apart." She turned on her heel and walked away.

"Katara, please! I'm sorry!"

Everyone had momentarily stopped dancing and was gaping at the monk. He sheepishly ran away from the town square.

…

Aang wandered through the town alone. He couldn't understand why he lashed out at Katara like that. He knew why he was angry – he was burning up over Gyatso' betrayal. But in the past, Aang had always been able to work through things like this. But this …

This was different.

It was like some primal fury was beginning to take over. He didn't like it. Thankfully, the town had a small temple built to commemorate the memory of Shen Leah. Aang entered the empty temple and sat meditatively. Hopefully, he would be able center himself and calm the fury that was rising within him.

In a matter of moments, he had entered the Spirit World…

…

Aang emerged in the Spirit World, dusting himself off. _"Aang." _The monk twirled around to see the shimmering spirit of Avatar Roku standing before him.

"Roku! Just the man … er, spirit, I needed to see."

_"How may I be of service, Aang?"_

"Roku, I discovered something awful at the fifth air temple. I discovered that Monk Gyatso was secretly conspiring to use me to conquer the world."

Roku seemed genuinely surprised. _"Gyatso? But … that's ridiculous. I was close friends with him … I knew him for decades …"_

"People can surprise us, Roku," Aang sadly admitted.

_"Alas, you are right. But still … I find it quite hard to believe."_

"So do I, but … somehow I feel as though it's true. Even though I don't want it to be."

Roku nodded. _"Neither do I. But as Avatar, our quest is also one of truth. We must accept the complete truth wherever we find it – even if it hurts us."_

"Believe me, it does hurt. Roku, I feel like a volcano exploded in my stomach and I don't know how to stop it. I've become so angry deep down, and I just took it out on Katara."

_"A funny thing about unbridled anger. It often targets those who didn't cause it."_

"But it's unnatural for me. I've never been _this_ angry before – not even when I found the air monks massacred, or when the Sandbenders stole Appa. Sure, I was furious then, but this – this is something on a whole different level."

Roku's eyes seemed to scan the young Avatar. _"If you are right, and this change is coming over you, you must nip it in the bud. Immediately. Rage can be a drug. It can blind a man, make him say or do things he wouldn't otherwise. Each day, his anger grows, until finally, he's a shell of his former self."_

"But I'm the Avatar! I should be able to balance this all out!"

_"Not even Avatars are immune. That is why it is imperative you rid yourself of this anger now. Remember the tale of Avatar Ko-Rei. The woman he loved deeply hurt him, and it caused him to spiral out of control. History often repeats itself, Aang. I don't want to see you fall the way Avatar Ko-Rei did."_

Aang hung his head. "You're right. If Avatar Ko-Rei could fall, then I could too. Thanks Roku. I'll keep that in mind."

_"Be sure you do. But now, it seems as though we have some company."_

Aang peered behind the elder Avatar to see someone come stalking towards them. "Azula?"

The Princess seemed very confused, and as soon as her eyes landed on Aang, she punched her fist forward, hoping to deep fry him.

Nothing happened.

Azula blinked and tried to Firebend again.

And again.

"What … why can't I bend?"

"You're in the Spirit World Azula. You can't bend here."

"H-how did I get here?"

Aang shrugged. "Beats me."

"Well tell me how to get out!"

Aang grinned. "Nope. Maybe if I'm lucky you'll be stuck in here forever and we won't have to even worry about stopping you."

"Avatar, if you don't tell me how to get out, I swear I'll -."

"What are you going to do Azula. We're _spirits_. Not a whole lot you can threaten me with here."

She clenched her fist, her sharpened nails cutting into her skin. "I'll find a way out of here, and when I do -."

_"Children, stop," _Roku shouted. _"Enough of this."_

"Who's the old geezer," Azula sneered.

"Show some respect," a shocked Aang exclaimed. "That's Avatar Roku!"

"And I should care because …?"

_"You should care because I'm your great-grandfather."_

"Oh please, my great-grandfather was Fire Lord Sozin."

_"On your paternal side. I'm your great-grandfather on your maternal side."_

Azula seemed pleased with this revelation. "Hmm, I'm the Dark Avatar, Princess of the Fire Nation, daughter of the future ruler of the world and now the great-granddaughter of an Avatar. Seems fitting."

Roku shook his head. _"Azula, you have to listen to me. When you return to the real world, you must surrender yourself to Aang. You must allow him to seal the Dark Avatar Spirit away from you forever."_

"Are you crazy? Why would I do that?"

_"Because the Dark Avatar Spirit is a parasite. It leeches the life out of the world every second it's awake. Ever since you were born, and the Dark Avatar Spirit incarnated itself in you, the world has been growing more and more unstable. Holes are appearing between the Spirit World and the physical world. The two worlds are growing unstable as a result. And when the Autumnal Equinox arrives in a couple of weeks, and the worlds attempt to align, they will be unable to because of the sheer amount of holes that have been created. Both worlds will crash into each other and collapse."_

"What does that mean," the Princess asked curtly.

"It means devastation on an unimaginable scale," Aang said.

_"If you persist in resisting the Avatar, every living being in the world will be destroyed – including the Fire Nation and your father. And you."_

Azula rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the little horror story, but I'm not buying it. You two would clearly say anything to get me to give up. Luckily for me, I'm not as gullible as you thought."

Aang balled his fists. "Are you insane? You have your great grandfather here telling you that the world is coming to an end and you won't even listen?"

"Listen Avatar, the spirits are nothing compared to me. I don't have to pander to them the way you do."

"You're hopeless! I was hoping that Avatar Roku would be able to at least reason with you, but you're just too dense!"

"Dense? Hmm, I'll remember that remark next time we meet in the real world."

_"Azula," _said Roku. _"I'm asking you to please not disregard our warnings. Fire Lords Sozin and Azulon, as well as Admiral Zhao thought just like you do. But they were wrong and so are you. If you continue down this path, not only will you destroy all of existence, but yourself as well."_

"You know, you really do sound like a broken record," she snarled. "I've had it with this place. I'm ready to leave, so hurry up and get me out of here!"

Roku sighed sadly. _"As you wish." _He snapped his fingers and Azula disappeared in a flash of light. The former Avatar then turned to the young monk standing next to him. _"Aang, my great-granddaughter won't listen to reason. We have only one course of action left. You must stop and defeat her before the Autumnal Equinox. You must use Energybending to remove the Dark Avatar Spirit from her and seal it away in here."_

"I won't let you down, Roku. I'll stop Azula and Ozai once and for all. I promise."

_"And I know you'll make good on that promise, Aang. Good luck."_

…

Aang returned to the physical world with a whole new conviction. But first, he had to make amends. So he rushed back to the hotel, and banged fiercely on Katara's bedroom door.

"Can we talk in the morning," she asked groggily.

"No, this can't wait." He forced himself into her bedroom, and she sat down on her bed.

"Katara, listen. I know I've been a jerk -."

"A big one," she muttered.

"And I know you were only trying to cheer me up. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I promise, from now on, I'll control my temper."

"I guess I should apologize too," Katara admitted. "I should have seen the pain you were in and I should have given you your space. I'm sorry."

The pair locked lips, and for the first time since leaving the fifth air temple, Aang truly felt at peace.

…

The Fire Nation airship docked at the capital. Azula quickly dressed herself in the best Fire Nation clothing she had. She wanted to look good when she presented herself to her father.

As she prepared to exit the ship, one of her crewmembers came sprinting up to her. "Princess! We have a situation!"

"Well can't you deal with it without me? I'm kind of in a hurry to see my father!"

"It's about that new prisoner…"

She stopped. "The little girl?"

"Yes. She's gone."

"She escaped?"

"No. There's no sign of a struggle or a breakout or anything. She's just … vanished into thin air. It's like she never existed in the first place."

"Whatever," the Princess growled. "She's small potatoes anyway. I'm not going to worry about it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment with my Father."

…

Flames roared around the throne room as Phoenix King Ozai sat on his great throne. Azula entered and bowed low.

"Father, I've come to inform you that the fifth air temple has been completely destroyed."

"You've done well, Azula. You've made me proud. And now we must begin your training. You must work exceptionally hard to master all four elements."

"I'll master them quickly, father. I assure you, I can learn them much faster than the Avatar ever could."

"I hope so. Your teachers are already here." Ozai snapped his fingers and two men emerged from the shadows.

Long Feng and Pythos.

"Long Feng will instruct you in Earthbending while Pythos here will be your Waterbending teacher."

Long Feng glared at the Princess with disdain, but said nothing. Pythos, on the other hand, bowed low. "I look forward to our time together, Your Highnessss."

Azula turned to her father. "But what about Airbending? All of the Air Nomads are dead, and I'm darn sure the Avatar won't be in any hurry to teach me. There's no one alive who can teach me."

Ozai's smile spread across his face. "Ah, but the key word is that there is no one _alive_."

"I don't understand."

"Tell me something, Azula. Have you ever heard of Avatar Ko-Rei?"

…


	14. Chapter 14: The Shirshu Thieves

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

…

Book 4:

Air

Chapter fourteen: The Shirshu Thieves

…

"Haha, looks like another win for me. But don't cry boys, maybe if you try again Lady Luck will warm up to you." The female bounty hunter had a devious gleam in her eye as she nonchalantly played with the two dice in her hands. "So, who's up for another round?"

The three men who were playing with her in the tavern gave each other stern glares. "All out of coins," one lamented over his empty bag.

"My wife will kill me if I lose anymore money," the other one sighed. "I'm already in deep enough as it is."

The lady bounty hunter turned to the other guy, who remained silent, staring at her. "What about you, handsome? You look like a more daring sort than these chumps. Whaddya say? Come on … another round?"

The large man stared at her intently, his eyes on the dice she was rolling around in her palms. He tossed a small sack of coins on the table, and the bounty hunter's eyes lit up. "All in," he grunted.

"I would really hate to be you," she teased as she blew on the dice in her hand before rolling. "Whaddya know? Seven again! Looks like I win, thanks for playing and have a good day," she gloated as she grabbed for the bag.

The man's hand stopped her. "Not so fast."

"What's the big idea?"

"Before you gather your … winnings … maybe you would let me examine the dice?"

The bounty hunter's eyes lost their gleam. "Why? You had no problem with them when we started playing."

"Yea, but after you won twelve consecutive games and got your sticky hands all over my money I have reason to be interested."

The other two men suddenly immersed themselves in conversation, waiting to see how this would play out. Perhaps they would be able to get their money back after all…

"Fine. Here, see for yourself." She handed her dice over and the man examined them. He examined them again … and again … and again.

"Are you satisfied yet? See, I told you I'm not a cheat."

The man tapped the die with his fingers, using Earthbending to cause them to implode on themselves. The woman paled instantly. "There's no need to do that!"

"Just as I thought," the man fumed. "Weighted dice!"

The other two men became steaming mad. "Weighted dice? You fooled us!"

"You filthy cheat! We want our money back!"

"Ooh, sorry. No can do! Once the money has reached my hands, there can be no refunds!"

The two men pulled out daggers, and the larger man armed himself with brass knuckles.

The grin reappeared on the bounty hunter's face as they menaced on her. "Spanking little boys – this ought to be fun!"

…

"Are you sure that this lady can help us find the Avatar," Jin asked as she and the rest of the gang stood outside the door of a tavern.

"She's helped me find him before," bragged Zuko. "Back when I was hunting the Avatar, she helped me hunt him across the Earth Kingdom."

"How does she find people?"

"She has a shirshu with a keen sense of smell. It can 'see' through smelling."

Toph was intrigued. "Kind of like how I can 'see' through feeling the ground. Man, I want a pet shirshu so bad!"

"How do we know this bounty hunter's even in here," Mai groaned.

Zuko parted the tavern door open – and immediately had to duck as three grown men were consecutively sent flying over his head, through the door and into some bushes. Zuko turned to his girlfriend. "Does that answer your question?" He motioned with his head for the rest to follow him inside.

June, the bounty hunter, was celebrating with all the patrons. "Drinks all around," she exclaimed. She jerked her thumb out the door. "And put it on those guys' tabs." Cheers resounded as the drinks were passed out and June lavished in all the attention she had garnered.

The sound of a throat clearing caused her to turn around. "Oh great, it's you again. And friends. But where's your grandpa?"

"You mean my uncle?"

"Whatever, all I know is he's a creepy old man."

"Watch what you say about him," Zuko said in a deadly tone.

June made a placating motion with her hand. "Okay, don't spaz out about it. So where's your girlfriend?"

"Right here," Jin and Mai said at the exact same time. The two girls gave each other dangerous looks.

"Wow, you really _do_ get around," June commented. "But I was talking about that Waterbender. I mean, you guys _did_ have something going on between you two, right?"

Zuko's face flamed. "There is not, nor has there ever been, anything going on between me and Katara," he hissed through clenched teeth.

June shrugged. "Yikes! Okay, calm down, kid. So let's talk business, you're obviously here for a reason." She flopped herself down on a chair and kicked her legs up on a table. "So let's hear it. Who do you want me to find this time?"

"I need you to find the Avatar."

The bounty hunter's eyebrows shot up. "Boy, there's no variety with you guys is there?"

"Are you going to help us or what?"

"You got money?"

Zuko tossed her a few silver coins. June counted them in her hand. "Feels a little light."

"That's what we paid you last time!"

"My rates have doubled kid."

Grumbling, Zuko handed her several more coins. The bounty hunter bit into one of them. "Good." She stood up, slinging several weapons across her body. "Let's do this."

…

"Nyla? Where's my little snuffly-wuffly?" June led the group around the side of the tavern to where she left her shirshu. "Come her, girl! Mama's got a nice juicy steak for you!"

She stopped short when she led them to the rear of the tavern. "What the -?"

Where Nyla should have been, there was nothing but empty space … and an empty chain. "Nyla?"

"Where's your shirshu," Zuko asked.

"I-I don't know. She was here not even a half hour ago!"

"Why would she run away," inquired Toph.

"She wouldn't. Look at all the impressions in the ground."

Toph felt the ground through her feet. "It feels like there was a struggle. She must have been restrained somehow – or paralyzed. Whatever happened, she was tied up and dragged off that way." She pointed towards the nearby woods.

"We're going after her," June snarled. She aimed her fingers at Zuko. "And you're coming with me, pretty boy."

Zuko raised an eyebrow. "Now wait a sec-."

"You need my help," she interrupted. "You need my shirshu to find the Avatar. And the only way to do that is to help me find her!"

They heard chuckling behind them, and June whirled around to see one of the men she beat up about ten minutes ago. "No one cheats Liu and gets away with it!"

The next thing Liu knew was searing pain as his arm was dislocated and pinned behind his back. "What did you do with my shirshu," June demanded.

Liu chuckled through the pain. "You took my money – so my buddies and I took your pet and sold her as payback."

"How did you restrain her?"

"Ha! My business associate collects shirshus. He extracts their paralysis saliva and processes it to make weapons. All we did was inject her with a dose of saliva from another shirshu and she was down for the count."

June's eyes grew deadly. "Who's your associate? Who did you sell Nyla to?"

"Ha! Do you really think I would tell you that?"

"You will if you're smart."

"Hurt me all you want, I'll never talk."

"Really?" June reached out with her other arm and lifted one of Mai's hidden knives (much to the girl's chagrin). The bounty hunter held the blade up before Liu's face. "If you don't tell me, then we'll see how many of your orifices this blade can be jammed up!"

Liu's face paled as the jagged point danced in front of his face.

"Okay, I'll talk!"

…

The early morning sun rose over the Fire Nation capital, promising a bright new day for its inhabitants. There was one, however, who would not be able to enjoy the morning.

Azula rushed through the Royal Palace. She couldn't believe that she overslept and now she was running late for her first bending lesson. Her father had given her a strict training regiment. From the early morning to midday she would practice Waterbending. From midday to evening she would practice Earthbending. And from evening to bedtime she would practice journeying into the Spirit World to learn Airbending from Avatar Ko Rei. How that would be accomplished, she wasn't sure; however, she did know that her father and the Fire Sages had practiced rituals to call on spirits. Perhaps he _had_ found a way to reach the dead Avatar…

She didn't have time to muse over the complexities of it all as she found herself in the royal gardens. It was here that she had spent much of her childhood, playing with Mai and Ty Lee. She clenched her fists and furiously pushed the memories out of her head. She couldn't stomach thinking about their lying, treacherous faces.

She stopped in the garden to catch her breath. She knew that she was late, but there was no sign of her Waterbending master. Perhaps he was running late too. Shrugging, the princess moved over to the fountain and caught her reflection. She played around with her hair a little bit, before a huge plume of water shot upwards, knocking her off her feet.

Looking up, she saw Pythos spinning up out of the water. He had been hiding in the fountain the whole time. Bending himself dry, the Waterber bowed low. "Good morning, Princessss."

"Uh, good morning," she stuttered as she gave him a Fire Nation bow.

Pythos grinned, his pointed teeth gleaming in the morning sun. "Today marks your first day of training. You'll find that Waterbending is a far more sophisticated style than your typical Firebending. Whereas Firebending is based on pure aggression, Waterbending is more passive, defensive. In fact, one can almost say that it's an art form. Instead of rooting your stance, you must move your body in fluid motions – go with the flow."

Azula wanted to just get to the part where she could hurt people with water. "So when do we get to the bending?"

Pythos laughed. "No bending today, Princesss."

Azula's eye twitched. "No bending? Then what's my father paying you for!"

"Oh, your father isn't paying me. He offered, but I declined. I'm doing this for the sake of my master."

The Princess rolled her eyes. "And who exactly is 'your master.'"

"Avatar Ko-Rei." He allowed that to sink into the Princess' mind, and then decided to speak no more of it. "We'll get to the bending soon enough, but first you must train your mind and body in order to perform the complex moves involved in Waterbending. Remember, water is opposite of fire; thus, you'll have far more difficulty in learning Waterbending techniques than any of the other bending disciplines."

"Fine. What exactly do I have to do?"

Pythos gestured for her to join him in the fountain. Shedding her shoes and outer clothing, the Princess stepped into the fountain. She shuddered as her bare feet made contact with the cool water.

"First, you must become used to being surrounded by water. Second, put yourself into the right mindset. They say that the Moon Spirit was the first Waterbender. To this day, the moon bends the oceans, her gravitational pull affecting the tides." Pythos swayed his body back and forth. "Push and pull. This is the basics of Waterbending. Now you try practicing the technique."

Azula tried to copy Pythos' smooth moves, but she stumbled and fell face first into the water. Pythos roughly grabbed her and pulled her to her feet. "Again," he demanded.

For fifteen minutes, Azula tried practicing the technique – and failed time and again. This really struck a chord with her. Whenever she wanted to learn some new technique in the past, she merely applied herself and it came to her naturally. But this … this was different. And it infuriated her.

"Why can't I get it," she snarled as she toppled into the water again.

"Patience, Your Highnesss. You may not think you're getting it, but your technique _is_ starting to improve. Keep trying."

"I don't want to keep _trying_! I want to bend water! I want to rub it in that peasant girl's face that I can Waterbend too – and better than she can!"

Pythos was beginning to lose his patience with this insufferable girl. "Now lisssten! This isn't some little trick that you can just pick up. It takes time and practice!"

"We don't have time and practice. I want to master all four elements and destroy the Avatar for good – and I want to do it soon!"

"And you shall! But first you must master the basics!"

"Enough of the basics," Azula snarled. She stared her master down furiously. "Teach me to bend water now!"

"Perhapsss we've had enough lessons for today," Pythos replied, calmly stepping out of the fountain.

"What do you mean? You can't just cut short our lesson!"

"Can and did."

"My father -."

"Your father has given me full reign over your instruction. What I say goes – and I say no more lessssons for today. Come back tomorrow when you're not so hotheaded."

"I don't think you understand." Azula's patience was long gone. "You're going to teach me Waterbending right now or I'll-."

Pythos whirled around. "You'll what? You see, you have nothing you can threaten me with, Princess. I have no fear of pain or death. I have nothing I care about that you can hurt."

Azula stammered.

The Waterbending teacher flicked his tongue. "Nothing to say? It would seem as if you've met someone whose blood runs just as cold as yours, wouldn't it?"

Azula so wanted to fry this guy with lightning, but she thought better of it. It might take her father a long time to find a new instructor willing to teach her. Plus, Ozai wouldn't be too pleased if he spent all that time and effort in finding Pythos just to have him turned into a pile of smoking goo.

The Princess lowered her head. "Fine. I'll do whatever you tell me. Teach me everything you know?"

Pythos cocked his head. "Is this an apology?"

Azula refused to dignify that with an answer. "What it is is an admission that I need your help."

"Then we do things my way – and no complaints?"

The Princess ground her teeth. "No complaints."

"Good. Then let'sss begin again."

And this time, when Azula practiced the moveset, the water stirred ever so slightly along with her motions.

The Dark Avatar was beginning her mastery of all four elements.

…

"If that bonehead was telling the truth, then his buddies took Nyla down this route and to their underground base." June snarled as she, Zuko and Toph strode through the Earth Kingdom woods. The early morning sun shone through the trees above them, casting faint glimmers of light across the leaf-encrusted ground.

Zuko decided to bring Toph with him and June to rescue the shirshu. The Earth King was still under Dai Li hypnosis, and he needed someone to keep an eye on him and Bosco. That's why he left Jin and Mai with him back at the tavern.

Well, one of the reasons.

Zuko couldn't take anymore of their bickering and decided he needed a break from them. Besides, this would give them time to get to know each other and maybe put aside their differences.

Or Mai could just eviscerate Jin and turn her into chopped sushi.

Toph came along because, in spite of her mischievousness, she had gained much wisdom from working at his uncle's tea shop. Zuko had found a good confidante in her.

That didn't stop her from asking awkward questions, however. Toph waited until June was a few paces ahead of them and thus out of earshot to begin her interrogation.

"Soooo … I couldn't help but notice how embarrassed you got when June mentioned that there was something between you and Katara…"

Zuko's face, once again, turned the color of flame. "Maybe you didn't hear what I said to her last night. There is nothing between me and Katara!"

"Oh I heard you. But I also felt your heartbeat. Boy-howdy, it skyrocketed she brought up Katara. Come on, Sparkey – admit it. You have feelings for Sugar Queen!"

"I do not!"

_"Sparkey and Sugar Queen, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-."_

"If you finish spelling that word, I swear to Agni, Toph!"

"Okay, calm down. No need to explode, though that would be very Firebenderish of you. But come on – you can't lie to me Zuko. I'm like … a human lie-detector."

Zuko clenched his fist. "I don't like Katara like that! I'll admit … there is a certain … _attractiveness_ … about Katara. She's passionate, fiery, strong-willed … and once she's set her mind to something, you'd be crazy to try to persuade her against it…"

"You're not really helping your case, Sparkey."

"Also, she can be a complete and total pain-in-the-butt."

Toph beamed. "Can I tell her you said that?"

"No."

_"I'm still gonna," _she mumbled.

"But all that's neither here nor there," Zuko continued. "Katara and I are totally incompatible."

"I don't know about. Katara may be a Waterbender, but with her personality she could sure pass for being a Firebender. She would compliment you perfectly."

"But she doesn't have the connection that Mai and I have." He stopped himself and thought about his words. Yes, Mai might be a decent Fire Lady someday, the ideal wife, who speaks only when spoken to. But did she really have the emotional capacity to be his wife? Could she fulfill his needs emotionally? Zuko was now determined to make Mai open up completely to him – let him in emotionally and spiritually.

"Besides," he continued. "Katara's not the one that I love. I love Mai. Anyway, while we're on the topic of relationships, what about you?"

Toph walked with her hands behind her head, whistling nonchalantly. "What can I say? I'm a free spirit, Sparkey. I don't want to be bogged down in dating and marriages and gooey sappy lovey-doveyness. Will I ever get married? Possibly. But I want to be my own person right now. I want to go where I want, hang out with whom I want, do whatever I want when I want. No one holds Toph Bei Fong back!"

"Not even Sokka," Zuko asked slyly. _Let's see how she likes having the tables flipped around on her, _he thought.

Toph's step faltered ever so slightly and her cheeks reddened. "Snoozles? Ha! That's a laugh! Like I would ever Sokka the time of day! Ha!" Zuko couldn't help but notice that her laugh seemed forced.

"So you're telling me that if Sokka came to you on bended knee, bouquet in one hand and candy on the other, you would have no reaction?"

"I would three reactions actually. First, I would have an allergic reaction to his flowers. Second, I would have a hungry reaction to his candy. Third, I would have a physical reaction by Earthbending him straight up into the air."

"I find that hard to believe," Zuko teased. "I think that you think he could be your knight in shining armor."

"Knight in shining armor? Please, more like a moron in tin foil." Her laugh was forced again, and this time it seemed pained. "I can assure you, _if_ – and that's a big if – I ever decided to fall in love, I could do better than Sokka."

"Decide to fall in love? Toph, you don't _decide_ who you fall in love with. It just … _happens_. We can't help who we fall in love with."

"No," she answered, and there was a hint of sadness in her voice. "But you can help how you handle that. You can decide to ignore that part of you."

"So you would deny an essential part of your being? What purpose does that serve?"

"I'm not saying that love is a bad thing, or that I'll never fall in love. All I'm saying is that love can have negative impacts."

"Such as?"

She sighed. "Do I have to spell it out for you, Firebrain? Love can cause people to act really crazy sometimes. It makes them do stupid things that they would normally never do. It causes you to act like a real idiot sometimes. Standing outside, throwing pebbles at peoples' windows … love can make you do some real awful stuff too. It can make you hurt other people – not physically – but on the inside."

"You've really thought this through, haven't you? But what do you mean by 'hurt people'?"

She sighed. "Say for argument's sake, I did like Sokka and I tried to be with him. Sokka's dating Suki, who happens to be a friend of mine. Could I really be so selfish as to break up their relationship and ruin their happiness for my own? Could I hurt Suki like that?"

"But what about your happiness and your love? Doesn't your happiness count?"

"Well, think about it like this. Just say, hypothetically, that you loved Katara. Would you be willing to break up her relationship with Aang in order to be with her? Are you willing to secure your own happiness at the expense of Aang's? He's your friend – could you hurt Aang like that?"

Zuko didn't respond, but merely gaped at her grasp of such deep philosophical questions. _Uncle's really rubbed off on her – except without the dumb little sayings that make no sense._

June's voice ruined this little interaction. "Hey, Cheech and Chong, hate to break up your little chitchat, but we're almost there! You want to hurry up and catch up with me?"

Nodding, the two increased their pace to a trot in order to keep up with the ornery bounty hunter. "We're nearing the town. According to Liu, the underground base his buddies took Nyla to is there." She took out a small index card with her writing scribbled over. "He was even nice enough to give me the address."

The town was located on the outskirts of the woods and sat along a nice, brisk river. "This is a pretty small town," Zuko commented.

"Which makes it a perfect place for a criminal enterprise," June replied. "Anyway, we're here." They stopped outside of a large building. "If Liu was telling the truth, then the shirshu kidnapping base should be just inside. Brace yourselves."

"Oh yea, time to kick butt and take names," Toph exclaimed.

June motioned to wait for her signal. She silently counted to three on her fingers and let out a fierce battle cry as the three of them kicked the door down and stormed the building.

They stopped as they found themselves in a cosmetics department store. Employees and customers stared at them deadpan.

"Wait a minute." Zuko scratched his head. "The headquarters for a criminal enterprise is really a makeup store?"

Even June seemed kind of embarrassed.

A sales associate awkwardly approached. "Umm, hi, welcome to Jetty's Shake-and-Bake Cosmetics, number three in the makeup sales in all of the Earth Kingdom. Would you like to try a free sample? We have some very nice perfumes." She turned to June. "How about you? We have some very nice color bases that would perfectly compliment your bone structure."

June's eye twitched. "Are you saying I need makeup to be attractive?"

"Of course not. I was merely saying -."

June never gave her the chance to finish as she stormed out of the store along with an embarrassed Zuko and a pensive Toph.

"I can't believe this was a complete waste of time!" June fully vented her anger as soon as they were outside. "Liu is going to pay for lying to me! When I get my hands on him -."

"He wasn't lying," interjected Toph.

June and Zuko whipped their heads around to stare at the blind girl. "I can sense everything going on underground through my feet," she explained. "There is in fact an underground base directly beneath that building. That makeup store is all a clever front."

"What else can you feel," asked Zuko.

"People. Lots of people busily at work down there. And roughly a dozen shirshu."

"Nyla." June clenched her fist so tight that her bones made cracking noises. "We're getting in that base."

"Well what are we waiting for," Toph asked. "Let's just storm in and give them some punishment!"

"Good idea! You know kid, I kind of like you. You should join me in becoming a bounty hunter." Toph beamed at June's compliment.

"Wait," interjected Zuko, earning him cross looks from his two compatriots. "We can't just storm down there."

"Why not," Toph asked.

"Because we don't know who – or what – is down there! We need to find out what we're dealing with!"

"A bunch of soon-to-be-in-a-world-of-pain thugs and scum," June growled.

"But could a bunch of mere thugs pull off something as complicated as running a shirshu black market? Stealing shirshu venom? Think – my instincts are telling me there's more to this than meets the eye."

"You got a point there, Sparkey. So what do we do?"

"Perhaps a little bit of sleuthing is in order," June commented.

"_Then_ we give them a buttload of pain," Toph grinned.

…

"Hi, welcome to Jetty's Shake-and-Bake Cosmetics, number three in sales throughout the Earth Kingdom, how may I help you…" Her voice trailed off as she eyed the unusual "family" that stood before them.

The man and his wife stood regally before them, along with the little blind girl that was apparently their daughter; she clung to an oversized lollipop. The father had a thick mustache, but the unusual thing about him was the scar over his eye. The wife had a veil covering her face, and the sales associate assumed she was from some exotic culture.

"My wife and I would like to browse through your store," the father said in a regal tone.

"Be our guest," the sales associate answered. "But boy, you guys sure do look familiar. Weren't you just in here before, ma'am?"

The wife turned her nose up in the air. "Tell the help not to talk to me," she said in a condescending tone.

The sales associate, not knowing how to handle that comment, bowed and backed away as the family began browsing through the department store. The daughter led them to the back of the store, to a door marked EMPLOYEES ONLY. Making sure no one was looking, they ran through the door.

"That was easy," Zuko said, removing the fake mustache from above his lip. June shed her fur coats, stripping down to her bounty hunting gear. Toph continued to enjoy her oversized lollipop.

Toph led the way, feeling with her feet. They came to a lift, which was suspended by a series of pulleys. "This'll take us underground and into the base," Toph explained. Zuko and June gently pulled on the ropes, and the pulleys lowered the lift several floors belowground.

Once they reached their destination, they stepped out into the base. They were in what appeared to be a dock, filled with canoes and rafts. They watched from the shadows as a raft came in with two stunned shirshus, trapped in nets. Workers were busily pulling the animals from the raft and into the dock. Toph motioned for them to go through another door.

They found themselves on a walkway above an enormous room. About a dozen shirshu were below them, each in a cramped pen, unable to move. Tubes were inserted into their mouths and machines extracted their paralyzing saliva.

June recognized one of them. "Nyla." She was about to leap down from the walkway, but Zuko restrained her.

"Wait."

Below them, a crowd of men was walking through the facility. Their voices were faint, but still detectable.

"As you can see," the man leading the tour, "our facilities are top notch. We inject our specimens with their own toxic saliva to render them incapacitated. When they arrive here, they are stored in these holding pens where we continually extract saliva from them. Then we incorporate the saliva into our weapons." The leader indicated a group of men with red markings on their faces. Zuko recognized them instantly.

_"The Yu-Yan Archers,"_ he whispered.

The leader continued his explanation. "We've tipped their arrows with saliva, and with their incredible accuracy, the Yu-Yan have yielded excellent test results. We can tip arrows, swords, spears and other weapons with shirshu saliva. Just the tiniest nick or graze renders the victim helpless. Your armies will be unstoppable."

It was then that Zuko recognized the other men – they were Fire Nation officers. The lead Fire Nation official seemed pleased. "I am impressed with your operations here, Tai Ra."

Zuko recognized that voice and he seethed with anger. _"Ying."_

"I'm happy to hear that," the man called Tai Ra said. "And it is my hope that Phoenix King Ozai will be as impressed as you are."

"He will be," Ying answered. "The timing couldn't be better. This could be just what the Phoenix King needs to gain an edge when his armies flood the Earth Kingdom."

"Ah, so the war continues." Tai Ra rubbed his hands together greedily. "War is always good for business. Tell me - how successful has the Phoenix King's campaign been so far?"

"The Phoenix King hasn't made overtly offensive moves yet. Ba Sing Se, however, is safely under our control. Ever since the summer ended, we've been sneaking our men into the walled city as a fifth column; and thanks to some aid from the Dai Li, Ba Sing Se is ours once again. As for the rest of the Earth Kingdom – they still bleed from their wounds during the first bout of the war. They will not be able to offer much resistance once the war starts anew. And the Phoenix King also happens to have a secret weapon now. Rest assured, in a matter of weeks the world will be ours. Especially once your weapons have been mass produced."

Zuko certainly didn't like the sound of anything he heard below. And what was this "secret weapon?"

"But enough chitchat," Ying said, folding his arms. "It appears that we happen to have some intruders." His eyes fell on the catwalk above.

Zuko, Toph and June turned and raced for the door that was at the end of the walkway.

"See that they don't escape," Ying calmly ordered the Yu-Yan Archers.

Before the trio could make their getaway, the doorframe was suddenly lined with arrows. They froze in place as they heard Ying's voice below them. "Move another muscle and the Yu-Yan will shoot to kill."

The trio turned, their hands raised over their heads as the Yu-Yan flooded the walkway. "Make sure they don't have any concealed weapons." The Yu-Yan patted them all down and completely stripped June of her arsenal.

"Watch the merchandise," she growled. Then the three of them were led down to the factory floor.

"We meet again, my _former_ Fire Lord," Ying gloated.

Zuko could barely contain his anger. "You traitor," he snarled.

The palm of Ying's hand struck the teenager's face, and the force of the blow echoed across the room. "You turned against everything your father taught you. You helped his mortal enemy the Avatar defeat him – and you tried to usurp his throne. So who is the _real_ traitor here Zuko? You betrayed your entire nation!"

"You betrayed my uncle!"

"You're uncle's an even worse traitor than you! He's the one who's poisoned your mind with his ridiculous notions of equality between the nations! But don't worry Zuko." He patted the teen on the head. "After a couple years of reeducation, you'll back to your good ol' normal self."

"You mean brainwashing."

"If you wish to put a negative spin on it – then yes. And the Dai Li have a nice little reeducation facility under Lake Laogai with your name on it." Ying turned to the Yu-Yan. "Take them to a holding cell. Zuko will be sent to Ba Sing Se. As for the other two, on my order tie them up and drown them in the river."

Zuko, Toph and June were led away.

_"Don't worry, I have a plan," _Toph whispered to the other two.

"Well, you might want to think about putting it into action _real_ soon kid," June grumbled. It was then that her eyes fell on her shirshu, locked in a small pen.

_"Nyla…"_

The shirshu whimpered, pawing for her master. But June was soon led out of the room with the other two and was out of sight.

…

It was midday when Azula entered the Agni Kai arena. This was where she was supposed to have her Earthbending lessons. This was another place that brought back bad memories.

It was here that she suffered her greatest defeat at the hands of her weakling brother and that water peasant. She fumed inside at the thought. But soon, once she mastered all four elements, she would have her revenge.

Already in the center of the ring was Long Feng, who sat cross-legged, quietly sipping tea. His eyes narrowed to slits as she joined him in the ring. "Princess."

"Long Feng," she answered curtly.

The head of the Dai Li stood up. "That's _Sifu_ Long Feng to you." Seeing her confused look at his abruptness, his eyes narrowed even more. "Oh yes, I haven't forgotten your betrayal in Ba Sing Se. You stole my Dai Li from me – and worse, humiliated me. If your father hadn't promised me a role in his world empire, I wouldn't even bother with you."

Azula smirked. "So once again, I'm your pathway to power, Long Feng. Interesting… As much as you may dislike me, we have a common goal. We both need for me to learn Earthbending. You – in order to gain a seat of power in my father's empire … and me – to make that empire possible."

"Don't think I'll make the training easy. Because of your betrayal, I'm going to make the training that much harder. I don't know what your Waterbending teacher is doing to you, but my training methods will be the same kind I use to train Dai Li. In other words, it'll border on torture."

Azula licked her lips. "Bring it on. I assure you, there's nothing that you can throw at me that I can't meet and overcome."

"Very well. Shall we begin?" Long Feng stepped into a wide, yet firm stance. "Earthbending is analogous to Firebending, so I doubt you'll have much trouble with it. Like Firebending, it's all about wide stances. You must be firm and unmoving – like a rock."

Azula copied Long Feng's movements. The head of the Dai Li punched his fist forward, and a wave of earth rippled across the arena. Satisfied, he stood with his arms behind his back. "Now you try."

The Princess repeated his movement, but not so much as a pebble moved.

"Correct your stance," Long Feng was saying. "Come on, Princess, it's not that hard, even a child could master it. Don't think, just do it!"

Without even thinking, Azula firmly punched forward. Not much happened – except for a tiny ripple of movement in the arena floor.

A wry smile spread across Long Feng's face. "Very good, Princess. You're learning."

…

Two Yu-Yan led Zuko, June and Toph down a narrow hallway. The blind Earthbender motioned towards Zuko and June, and silently nodded. As she took a step forward, she Metalbended a long strip from off the iron wall. "Hey Hogmonkey-breath!"

The two archers turned around, only to be struck across the head with a wide piece of iron.

"That was your plan," Zuko asked in disbelief. "I was expecting something a little more … grandiose."

"Hey if you're going to complain -."

"No, no. Let's go!"

The door of the main facility was blown clean off its hinges as Toph charged the room, followed up by Zuko and June. All of the shirshu in the room watched in wonderment as the three humans engaged the workers in combat, destroying all kinds of machinery, etc.

In short, it was sheer pandemonium.

Tai Ra and Ying entered the room to find it being torn apart. "No," Tai Ra screamed. "My beautiful laboratory!"

"Don't panic," Ying reassured him. "This won't take long." He began moving in Zuko's direction. The young Firebender had just dispatched an enemy combatant and turned around – just in time to defend himself from an arc of flame that had suddenly seared towards him.

Zuko and Ying circled, occasionally swatting at each other with fire, both looking for an opening. "I've got to hand it to you, Zuko – you're more resourceful than I thought. If only you hadn't betrayed us, you would have been a great asset to the Fire Nation."

"I will be – once I defeat you and my father and take my throne back!" A jet of fire expanded from the crown of his knuckles. Ying's hands moved upward and a defensive barrier of flames rose from the ground.

"You'll have to do better, Zuko."

Toph and June were combating several large thugs, when an arrow whizzed past June's head. They looked up at the catwalk to see it lined with Yu-Yan archers all taking aim.

"It would be wise to give up," Tai Ra announced. Seeing the archers reinforcing their position, Zuko stood down. He was quickly overpowered by Ying.

Tai Ra clicked his tongue at the three of them. "That was quite a spectacular stunt, but in the end, it was quite futile."

"There can be no more mistakes," hissed Ying. "Zuko's more of a liability than an asset."

Tai Ra nodded. "Of course." He motioned at the Yu-Yan, who took aim at Zuko, Toph and June.

"Well, it's been nice knowing you guys," June lamented.

Suddenly, the room was rocked by an exploding wall.

Next, the Yu-Yan found a thin line of rope trailing between their legs. Their feet were thrown out from under them and they plummeted headlong to the facility below.

"What's happening," Tai Ra exclaimed.

"It's _him_," Ying breathed.

The Blue Spirit made his grand entrance, throwing a small bomb, setting off a series of tiny explosions.

In the confusion, June rushed over to Nyla's pen. She smashed several pieces of machinery, and in a moment, the shirshu was free.

She wasn't the only one.

As the rest of the facility was distracted by the Blue Spirit, Zuko and Toph were on the move, freeing all of the other shirshus.

"NOOOO," shrieked Tai Ra.

The shirshus were on the move, their tongues flicking out, paralyzing any enemy that dared get in their way. Ying dodged the tongue of one – only to be struck in the neck by the other. He collapsed to the floor, just in time to see the Blue Spirit leading Toph, Zuko, June and Nyla through a door.

"Stop them," he shouted.

As the workers struggled to get the rampaging shirshus under control, the Yu-Yan archers were on their feet.

The chase was on.

…

"Umm, where exactly are you leading us," Toph inquired as she kept up pace with the masked warrior. The Blue Spirit pointed to a large round door and gestured for Toph to do what she does best.

With a kick, the metal door crumpled and the group found themselves in the dock. "Is there a canoe big enough for all of us," Zuko asked.

"Maybe if we didn't have a two ton shirshu," Toph commented.

"Watch what you say about my snuffly," June replied.

The Blue Spirit pointed at the raft.

"We got company," Toph exclaimed as arrows whizzed through the room. The blind Earthbender suddenly let out a yelp. The arrow had grazed her shoulder, but Toph collapsed to the ground in a heap. The arrow had been tipped with shirshu saliva.

"TOPH!" Zuko rushed over to her.

"I'll be fine, Sparkey. This stuff should wear off in about an hour. But uh, would you mind carrying me to the raft?" He scooped the little girl up in his arms and leaped towards the raft. June and Nyla were already on board and the Blue Spirit was busy deflecting arrows with his twin broadswords.

Sheathing his weapons, the warrior took out a smoke bomb, throwing it towards the Yu-Yan, masking their escape.

June was already rowing the raft out of the dock and towards the river. "Come on," Zuko shouted at the oft-appearing hero. The Blue Spirit sprinted to the end of the dock and gave a flying leap, landing gracefully on the raft.

Once outside of the facility, the currents of the river began carrying them downstream.

Zuko and June examined Toph. "You'll be alright. It barely grazed you and I doubt you got a lot of shirshu saliva into your bloodstream." She and Zuko dressed the wound, Nyla paced restlessly across the raft and the Blue Spirit kept watch. He suddenly whistled from behind his mask, earning attention from everyone else onboard. He pointed at the woods along the river.

Something was moving in the trees.

"It's the Yu-Yan archers," exclaimed Zuko.

A storm of arrows sailed from the trees, barely missing them. Zuko was able to burn some of the arrows up, while the Blue Spirit deflected others with his broadswords.

The Yu-Yan leaped from tree to tree, keeping up with the sailing raft. The stream of arrows was continuous.

"We can't keep this up forever," shouted Zuko.

"Is now a good time to mention I get seasick," Toph asked. Zuko shot her a glare.

The arrows were getting increasingly accurate, barely missing their targets by a fraction of an inch.

It was then that they noticed that the raft was picking up speed. "Uh, guys, I think we have a bigger problem on our hands!" June pointed ahead.

There, only a few meters away, was an enormous waterfall. Nyla whined in horror.

"Oh _great_," was Zuko's caustic remark.

The arrows were nonstop.

The Blue Spirit pointed at the waterfall, then made a falling motion with his hand.

"Are you suggesting we go over the waterfall," an incredulous Zuko asked.

"WHAT," Toph and June screamed at the same time.

"I don't know how to swim," June spat.

Nyla was shrinking in a corner, trembling and whimpering at the thought.

In a split-second, the Blue Spirit lobbed another smoke bomb over at the trees, causing a plume of smoke to rise up. The arrows stopped – for now. "That ought to blind them for a couple of second," said Zuko.

The waterfall was fast approaching.

June was desperately trying to paddle towards the shoreline with no effect whatsoever.

The Blue Spirit began tying a series of ropes to the floor of the raft, creating small grips for them to hold onto. The warrior then lay on his back, both arms holding on to the ropes.

"You've got to be kidding me!" June was shocked.

"Do _you_ have a better idea," Zuko asked.

Nyla lay on her belly, her claws firmly grasping at the ropes. Sighing, June lay on her back next to the shirshu, gripping two rope-handles firmly.

"What am I supposed to hold onto," Toph screamed from where she was lying. "I'm paralyzed! _Helloo?_"

"I'll hold onto you, Toph," Zuko said. He lay down on the raft, holding on to one of the handles with his left hand. With his other, he wrapped his arm around Toph's waist, firmly pressing her against his chest.

"If you let go of me, I swear I'll come and haunt you!"

"Cut the chitchat," June screamed. "Here we go!"

The next thing anyone knew was an intense rushing feeling as the raft fell in complete freefall hundreds of feet in the air. Zuko felt like his stomach had shot all the way up into his throat. Water cascaded down on them, deafening them to any other noise.

Zuko clung to Toph, but he could feel his now wet hand slipping out of the ropey grip. He struggled to readjust his grasp, firmly clenching the rope with his fingers.

SPLASH!

The raft landed hard at the base of the river, creating a large wave downstream. Zuko dared to open his eyes, blinking any water out. "Did – did we make it?"

He was relieved to see Toph still in his arms, her face scrunched up in horror.

The Blue Spirit was sitting up as though nothing happened and Nyla was shaking water out of her shaggy fur.

June was in a state of shock. "Are we safe," she asked.

The Blue Spirit nodded.

"Well in that case – _I'm gonna take a nice nap." _She fainted right on the spot.

Once the current settled down, Zuko and the Blue Spirit paddled towards the shore and all of the passengers disembarked. June had regained consciousness, but the horror of going over the waterfall had her babbling incoherently. Toph was strangely silent. Zuko assumed that she was still pretty shaken up.

But when Zuko turned to face the Blue Spirit, not surprisingly, he was nowhere to be seen.

"Hate when he does that," the Firebender grumbled.

…

Mai and Jin sat in the tavern, sipping their drinks. There was an air of electricity between them that threatened to explode at any second. The hypnotized Earth King sat next to them, his mouth hanging slack, and a bead of drool rolling down his chin. Bosco the bear, who the bartender grudgingly let in, sat at the table, munching on a juicy steak.

That was when the door opened, and a soaking wet Zuko and Toph entered.

"How was your trip," Jin inquired.

"…Interesting," Zuko responded.

"Why are you wet," was Mai's dry response.

Zuko motioned for the rest of them to come outside. "We got the shirshu." Helping the Earth King walk, the group went outside where June was stroking her shirshu's fur.

Bosco quietly followed them outside – and that was when his eyes fell on the shirshu. In the bear's mind, he could see himself in a field of flowers. He looked up to see Nyla on the other side. Their eyes met and they began slowly running towards each other.

"What's wrong with your bear," June asked as Bosco enjoyed his daydream.

"Aaaw," Jin said. "I think he's in love."

"Well tell him to knock it off. My Nyla can do so much better, can't you snookie-wookie?"

"Ahem." Zuko cleared his throat. "So, are we going to find Aang or not?"

"Does anyone have anything of his?"

No response.

June looked at them deadpan. "You're kidding me right? After all that, no one has anything that belongs to the Avatar?"

"Wait." Toph removed the rock bracelet she wore on her arm. "This is a piece of moon rock Sokka gave to me after he trained under that swordmaster. It's probably got his stench all over it." She handed it to June who allowed Nyla to smell it.

A world of different smells appeared in the shirshu's mind, before she zeroed in on one in particular.

"And we've got a lead," June announced.

…

Several Fire Sages stood in a circle, chanting repeatedly. Phoenix King Ozai placed several burning lanterns in a circle, as the chanting increased.

Azula stood off to the corner, bored. "So how is this helping me?"

Ozai chuckled. "I've been in contact with Avatar Ko-Rei for some time now. He came to me a few days after my defeat at the hands of the Avatar. He revealed to me that there was a Dark Avatar amongst my ranks. Which of course, turned out to be you."

"But how can he help me? I mean, spirits can't exactly _bend_ can they?"

"Oh Azula, there is so much you have yet to learn." Her father motioned for her to kneel in the circle of chanting sages. "Meditate."

Following her father's orders, the Princess sat in a meditative style. The next thing she knew, she was no longer in the physical realm.

…

When Azula awoke, she found herself surrounded completely by – nothing. She was in a giant void of nothingness. Just pure white, stretching as far as the eye could see.

"Hello?"

The first thing she noticed was a rabbarroo, hopping along. It had apparently come from out of nowhere.

Then a funny thing happened.

The rabbarroo became a flying hawk. As it circled above, she could hear it speaking. "Welcome, Dark Avatar, to the Great-In-Between!"

"The great what now?"

"The Great-In-Between. It's a world I created myself. It exists between your world and the Spirit World. Here, the rules of the physical world still apply, but with the exception of no death. You can still feel pain though. And unlike the Spirit World, here you can actually bend."

"This doesn't look like much of a training area."

The hawk laughed before transforming into a giant spider. "Oh, this realm has a few surprises." Suddenly, Azula felt as though the room was spinning and her surroundings began to morph around her. Structures and walls began to appear and take shape until Azula was standing in a courtyard.

"Where are we," she demanded.

"We're still in the Great-In-Between. However, unlike both the physical and Spirit World, this world can transform, taking you to different settings and places – even different times during history."

"Okay, so where exactly are we?"

"I've transformed this place into the likeness of the Southern Air Temple. Can you think of a better place to train?"

"I suppose not…"

The spider transformed again in a brilliant flash of light, turning itself into the likeness of Aang. "Seeing me appear as your foe should give you some incentive to learn – and surpass him."

Azula could only stare in shock.

"So Princess," Avatar Ko-Rei asked. "Are you ready to learn Airbending?"

…

_FYI, Avatar Ko-Rei was the spirit that Ozai contacted several chapters ago. As for shipping, I'm not going to tell you what the ships are ultimately going to be, but let's just say that it's all necessary to advance the plot… :)_

_Thanks for all reviews and favs and alerts, guys, keep 'em coming._


	15. Chapter 15: WeiZhen's Falls

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

…

Book 4:

Air

Chapter fifteen: Wei-Zhen's Falls

…

"Alright guys, we need to get a move on if we're going to stop Azula before she masters all four elements." Aang began taking down the tents in their campsite. The group had made camp deep in a forest located in the Earth Kingdom.

Sokka groaned and rolled over in his sleeping bag. "Just a couple more minutes…"

Aang's face suddenly paled. "Sokka, look out! There's a pricklesnake in your sleeping bag!"

"That's not gonna work again," he replied groggily.

"I'm not joking this time!"

The next second, Sokka was on his feet, screaming, writhing and dancing about. "_Aaaagh! _Get it off! Get it off!"

Aang gingerly reached out with his staff, trying to reach the reptile slithering around Sokka's chest. The staff inched closer and closer…

_"Would you hurry up already," _Sokka screeched.

"I have to be careful. I don't want to hurt it."

Sokka was incredulous. _"Hurt it? Hurt it? WHAT ABOUT IT HURTING ME?"_

Katara shrugged. "Well, it would be kind of quiet around here for once…"

"Give me that," Sokka barked, snatching the staff out of the monk's hand. He raised it high in the air, preparing to bash the snake's skull in.

"SOKKA, DON'T!" Aang's voice was loud, and full of terror.

The Water Triber brought the staff crashing down full force. _SMACK!_

Sokka howled in pain. He had struck his bare chest full force – but there was no pricklesnake. The reptile had slithered up his chest and was now coiling around his neck. Sokka paled instantly. _"Guys … it's … choking … me …"_

"Don't be ridiculous," a cheerful Aang said. "It's merely giving you a hug."

Katara giggled. "Feel the love, Sokka. Feel the love."

Sokka was on all fours, gasping for breath.

"Alright, I think we've tortured him enough for one morning," Katara said.

Aang nodded. "Agreed."

The two went over to pry the snake off of Sokka's neck, when Momo suddenly swept in and grabbed the slithering creature. The lemur carried the snake high up into the air, and left it on a tall tree branch. The snake hissed at Momo as the lemur flew back down and alighted on Sokka's shoulder.

"Thanks, Momo," he breathed, scratching the lemur's furry ears. "At least _somebody_ here cares about me."

"Relax, Sokka. We weren't _really_ going to let the snake hurt you."

Sokka glared at his sister. "Uh, it nearly _strangled_ me to death!"

Aang giggled. "Don't worry, we wouldn't let it _kill_ you," he teased. "Just maybe squeeze you into unconsciousness."

"That doesn't make me feel any better." He began heading off through the forest.

"Where are you going," Katara asked.

"I need to get some fresher air. We'll leave in about ten minutes, alright?"

…

Sokka was still muttering under his breath as he stomped through the forest. _"Stupid Katara and Aang … nearly letting me be killed by some wild beast. I'll get them back, don't you worry."_

Momo chattered wordlessly in his ear.

Sokka threw his hands up into the air. "Oh Momo, you can be so hard to talk to sometimes!"

He suddenly stopped walking as he realized that he was no longer surrounded by trees. He was on the edge of the forest, surrounded by … nothing! There were a few burnt up trees dotting the landscape, and the ground appeared to have been horribly scorched. Just nothing but ash as far as the eye could see.

"Whoa."

Sokka had seen a lot of disaster areas – but nothing like this. It appeared that nearly half of the forest had been burned down.

He looked at Momo. "Go get Katara and Aang. They need to see this."

…

_CRASH!_

_ BAM!_

_ SMASH!_

Azula moved quickly, dodging several rocky statues that were hurled at her. They were being controlled by Long Feng. Using Earthbending, the Princess caused two of them to implode on themselves.

Another one charged at her from behind. She jumped several feet up, twirled in midair, her scalp nearly grazing the head of the statue. She landed behind it and blasted it with some fire.

She cackled, feeling the exhilaration as she laid waste to everything Long Feng threw at her.

"Well done, Princess," he said finally. Azula stood there, panting, wiping the sweat out of her face. She felt somewhat tired after the morning's intense workout, but at the same time invigorated. She also noticed that her speed and reaction time had increased at least twofold.

"Why are we stopping," she demanded. "I can keep this up for hours."

"I know, Your Highness. You have shown great improvement over the past few days. You've learned much faster than anyone I've ever seen. Just imagine how powerful you'll become with a few _weeks_ worth of training!"

Azula examined her nails. "Yes, I am becoming powerful. But what use is that power if it is not absolute?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm learning Earthbending, Waterbending and Airbending at a steady rate. Soon, my skills will exceed even the Avatar's. But he still has an advantage. One technique that will make all of my training worthless!"

"I'm sure that whatever technique the Avatar has learned will be insufficient to -."

"I was referring to the Avatar State, Long Feng."

"_Sifu_ Feng," he corrected.

"Whatever. All of my skills pale in comparison to the Avatar State. Before, back when I fought him in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se, I nearly killed him. But before I did, he was able to enter into the Avatar State. If my reflexes hadn't been so fast, it might have been quite disastrous for all of us. Then, he faced my father at the end of the summer. My father had all of the advantages on his side – until that boy entered into that blasted Avatar State."

"I'm still unsure of where you're going with this."

"I want that power for myself. I have yet to master my Dark Avatar State, and until I do so, I will be at a severe disadvantage."

"Well, I'm sure the Phoenix King has taken that into account."

"If he has, then it's news to me. Until I master the Dark Avatar State, I will still be vulnerable."

She turned away from Long Feng, and entered into the palace.

Ozai entered the training ground, and put his hand on Long Feng's shoulder. "She's my daughter alright. She's learning all four elements – more than any other bender can boast, and it's still not enough for her. I taught her well – to settle for nothing less than the best."

"So what about the Dark Avatar State, sir?"

Ozai's face took on a demented grin. "I told you before Long Feng – this time, I have all our bases covered."

…

Katara rested her hand on a crestfallen Aang's shoulder. He looked around solemnly. "This whole area … burned down completely."

"I know how this must make you feel," Katara empathized.

"I'm the universe incarnate," he responded. "When I see something like this, I feel like a part of me is dead."

"A lot of places were decimated during the war," explained Sokka. "The Fire Nation typically burned forests like this to ash. Remember during Sozin's Comet, what Ozai did to the Wulong Forest?"

"Don't remind me."

Sokka shook his head as he continued to survey the damage. "It'll be years before anything grows here again."

Aang's fists were clenched. "I don't want to see anymore places devastated like this. We have to stop Azula, and we have to do it soon – before anymore of the Earth Kingdom is turned to ash."

"We'll let's get a move on." Katara blew into the bison whistle, and Appa, who had been napping nearby, lazily floated into view.

…

The trio had been riding the bison for at least a half an hour – and there was still nothing but scorched earth for at least a half an hour. Aang was incredulous. "How much forest did the Fire Nation exactly destroy? Miles and miles of ash! This is ridiculous!"

"Don't give up hope, Aang. Remember last winter, when you first met Hei-Bei? Remember when we found that forest destroyed and how you had lost hope? Well, remember how you found one little sprout that still managed to survive? I can guarantee you that the same thing will happen here. Soon, this forest will grow, and thrive, and be bigger and more beautiful than ever before."

"I hope you're right," was his melancholy reply.

Sokka, meanwhile, who had been observing their surroundings from Appa's saddle, started squinting at something in the distance. Then, finally, he began pointing at it. "He guys – what's _that_?"

Aang squinted as well. He could see the object in the distance that Sokka was pointing to. As they drew nearer, Aang could make out – _the color green. _Grass! And lots of it. Trees began to dot this area, and there was a large lake and a waterfall.

"An oasis," exclaimed Katara. "Can we stop, Aang?"

"I don't know," he replied. "Every second we waste, Azula gets stronger."

"But our water supply _is _starting to run low," she countered. "How can you expect to fight Azula if you're not hydrated?"

"Point taken."

The monk brought Appa in for a landing, and Sokka immediately dove into the water, splashing them.

"Watch it," Katara warned darkly, bending herself dry. Appa followed Sokka's example, cannonballing right into the water, sending a huge wave crashing on them.

As Appa and Sokka had fun, Aang took in his surroundings. There was lush, green grass, a beautiful, crystal lake. A waterfall flowed from the edge of the lake, pouring into a series of lakes below.

"I don't get it," he was saying. "The Fire Nation torched everything else. Why leave this oasis alone?"

"Maybe the Fire Nation thought it was too beautiful to burn," Katara suggested.

"Yea right," Sokka retorted. "Because the Fire Nation likes to keep pretty things intact and not suck the life out of anything beautiful."

"Sokka, not all of the Fire Nation is like that."

"I don't know. Zuko's girlfriend tends to suck the life out of everything around her." That comment warranted a bat on the head from his sister.

Aang, meanwhile, was more interested in observing the falls. _Where did all of this water come from,_ he thought.

The Airbender cautiously climbed downhill and found himself at the base of the waterfall. He circled the network of lakes, scratching his head, confusion welling up inside of him.

That was when he saw someone meditating on a rock beneath the waterfall. It appeared to be an older man, wearing simple clothes. He wore a pleasant smile on his face and his wizened eyes peeled open.

"Hello, Avatar Aang!" His voice was so cheerful. "I've been expecting you all day."

This day just got more and more confusing. Finding his voice, Aang answered with, "You knew I was coming?"

The man nodded. "Yes. You, your lemur, your sky bison, and those Water Tribe siblings." He patted the rock beneath the waterfall. "Don't worry – it's quite dry on the rock. It's back behind the falls far enough that most of the water misses it."

The Avatar hesitated for a moment.

"Don't worry," the man continued cheerfully. "Your friends are coming now."

Sure enough, Katara and Sokka had climbed downhill and were now gaping at the man sitting under the falls.

"Who's that old guy," Sokka uttered. Katara jabbed him in the ribs.

_"You are _so_ rude sometimes," _she hissed.

"Come join me – there's plenty of room on this rock!"

Shrugging, the trio complied, sitting cross-legged on the rock.

"I can sense you have a lot of questions," the man said, his eyes half closed as though he were still partially meditating. "But first – introductions. My name is Chien, the overseer of Wei-Zhen's Falls."

"Wei-Zhen's Falls?" The trio uttered in unison.

"Oh yes. A very spiritual place. There are only a few places similar to it – like in the North Pole."

"But … I don't understand. Why wasn't it burned down by the Fire Nation like everything else?"

"Oh, the Fire Nation certainly tried. But no matter what they did, no fire that they set to this place would burn. They grew tired of trying, and eventually gave up."

"Why wouldn't it burn," Sokka asked.

"Does the phrase 'a very spiritual place' make any sense Sokka," Katara groused.

"Well excuse me for having a sincere question!"

Chien seemed to find their bickering very amusing, as he began chuckling. "Ah, siblinghood. Being born a single child, I have never known what it was like to have a brother or sister. I would've liked one, but my parents weren't known for being very … _libidinous_."

Aang still had a lot on his mind. "If you don't mind me asking, _why_ exactly is Wei-Zhen's Falls a very spiritual place?"

"Now I'm very glad you asked," Chien answered. "I love telling the story – though, unfortunately, I rarely have anybody to tell it to. It begins centuries ago with a man named Wei-Zhen.

"Wei-Zhen was old and had no children of his own. However, he did have a beautiful garden with a swimming hole in it. Many local children used to come play in his garden and his swimming hole, and Wei-Zhen was very fond of them. He used to look out for the smaller children, to make sure that they weren't being picked on and were having fun playing. But over time, the children grew up and stopped coming to see him. His garden was beginning to produce less flowers, until it finally died. Wei-Zhen was heartbroken to see his garden die, and so he journeyed into the Spirit World. There, he met Avatar Yangchen.

"Avatar Yangchen had been watching Wei-Zhen for decades, and she told him that she would reward his kindness towards the local children. She gave him a magical acorn and told him to plant it in this exact spot. The acorn would grow and produce a beautiful oasis that would never age or die. Wei-Zhen tended to this oasis, and many more children came to see him until he finally died a happy, long-lived man."

"What a beautiful story," Katara commented.

"So how do you fit into this," Aang asked.

Chien's smile grew wider. "I am Wei-Zhen's great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson. This oasis has been in our family for generations … though, unfortunately, once the war started, people stopped visiting the oasis. I've been very lonely here – but I'm glad that I've at last got some company!"

"I'm afraid we can't stay long," Aang said. "We're on a very important mission to stop the Fire Nation once and for all.

"Understandable," Chien replied, the smile never leaving his face. "However, I would have thought that you of all people, Avatar Aang, wouldn't want to leave without checking out the most impressive part of this place."

"Which is?"

Chien's eyes lit up. "There is an enchantment on the falls themselves. You see, the water comes from underground tributaries. The water is spirit water, very similar to the kind in the North Pole. They have been enchanted in such a way that those who meditate under the falls can see the future."

Sokka began laughing. "Oh please, not that old tripe again!"

"Ah, an unbeliever," Chien said pleasantly.

"Look, no disrespect," Sokka began, "but we've heard all this future baloney before!"

Katara placed her hand over Sokka's mouth. "You'll have to excuse my brother – he's an idiot."

"Not an idiot," Chien answered. "Just a healthy skeptic. It can be proven, however, if you would like to try it out."

Sokka rolled his eyes. "Look, no one can tell the future. Remember all that Aunt Wu nonsense?"

"Yea, but everything Aunt Wu said came true," Katara snapped, rising to her old mentor's defense.

"Of course it came true! It came true because she gave broad, general predictions. People wanted to believe in her so badly that they _made_ her predictions come true. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy!"

"Oh yeah? Aunt Wu predicted that Aang would be engaged in a fierce battle!"

"Duh! Everyone knew that he was going to confront Fire Lord Ozai!"

"Well, what about her prediction that I would marry a powerful bender?"

Aang's ears perked up. "Yea," he joined in. "And Katara and I are bound to end up together!"

"You guys are both nuts!"

"If it's so nuts, then how come Chien knew we were coming?"

"Hello, you could spot Appa for miles!"

"May I interject," Chien piped up. "You seem to have a few old friends who will be arriving at the oasis momentarily."

Sokka rolled his eyes again. "Yea, whatever. Come on guys, let's go." He made to climb back up the falls, but noticed Katara and Aang weren't moving.

"Oh, great, you guys want to hang out here. Fine, I'll be waiting with Appa." He recklessly traversed back uphill, nearly slipping several times ("I could've warned him about that," Chien had said) until he managed to reach the upper lakes.

He was grumbling to himself as he packed up Appa. How could they believe in that nonsense? "No one can tell the future, right Appa?" The bison sneezed right in face. "Wish someone could've foretold that."

Just as he was beginning to relax, waiting for Aang and Katara, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Yo, Snoozles!"

Sokka whipped his head around to see a shirshu entering the oasis, followed by a bear. Riding on both animals were Toph, Zuko, Mai, some cute Earth Kingdom girl, the Earth King (who looked like a zombie) and that crazy June lady.

"You gotta be kidding me," was his only response.

…

"AARGH!"

Azula screeched as she was thrown to the ground by a jet of water. "Tut, tut, Princesss," her snakelike instructor taunted. "You'll have to put up a better defense than that if you want to stand a chance against me."

Azula stood up, dripping wet. She wiped water from her eyes.

Pythos' leering face melted into a serious frown. "Again," he commanded, as he went on the offensive. "Dodge, Azula," he instructed.

"What does it look like I'm doing," she snarled irritably.

"Counterattack! Do it, Azula! A good defense is a strong offenssse."

Azula tried the water-whip move, only to have Pythos break the attack easily. "Pathetic. You're moving the water, but you're not feeling the push or pull."

"Oh, I'm feeling the push and pull alright. I'm feeling like pushing you to the ground and then pulling your slimy innards out. _Aaargh!" _She cried out as she was thrown to the ground by a water tendril.

"That's no way to talk to your teacher, Azula. Shall I teach you respect the way your father taught your brother?"

Fury rose in Azula, and she drew water out from the nearby fountain. She instantly shot her hand forward, the water streaming towards Pythos. He dodged yet again.

"With moves like that, you'll never defeat the Avatar. Don't worry, maybe you can lament over your failures with Prince Zuko."

With a cry of rage, Azula lunged at him, turning the water into gleaming, jagged icicles. Pythos ducked under her furious swings and instantly broke her guard.

"You want to hurt me, Azula? You have to feel it! You have to _want _to inflict damage! You have to be outright aggressive – completely the opposite of the typical, defensive Waterbending techniques. You have to focus your rage, channel it into the push and pull of the water. Don't let it flow like a stream – let it surge violently like a great deluge!"

A giant wave came crashing towards him. "Good!"

The water suddenly froze around him, binding his feet to the ground. Before he could melt his trappings, a smaller wave hit him head on – and did nothing more than soak him. Confused, he looked up at his opponent, and for the first time, his calm, calculating demeanor vanished.

Azula was charging energy, preparing to shoot lightning. And with him standing there drenched, he was an easy target!

Thinking quickly, he froze the water covering him into a block of ice, just as the lightning struck. The lightning coursed through the solid ice, searching for a solid object to travel through to the ground. Ever so carefully, Pythos removed the electrically charged block of ice from his body and tossed it aside. The ice was vaporized as the lightning traveled directly into the ground.

He looked up at Azula, who seemed quite pleased with herself.

Pythos was pleased as well.

"I am very impressed, Princessss. Combining two elements, water and lightning, in such a way … most ingenious. If I hadn't moved quickly to defend myself, I would have been fried from the inside-out. I must give you applaussse."

"I just did what you told me to do – I _wanted _to hurt you."

"Good. With that type of attitude and ingenuity, you will become a lethal force indeed – once you master all four elements."

Pythos took a new stance. "Again!"

And the training resumed once more.

…

It was perhaps the happiest reunion any of them had seen or experienced before. There were hugs, tears, laughs, old jokes repeated again, more laughs … it was quite a sight.

Toph playfully punched the three of them in the arm (Sokka pretended it didn't hurt, but when no one was looking he whimpered). Mai refused any hugs, while the Earth King just drooled on. Jin was shy since she didn't know anyone and had to be introduced. Katara hugged all of them, and practically threw herself into Toph and Zuko's arms. Aang's eye twitched a little as he watched her embrace Zuko.

June, meanwhile, accepted her payment and decided to go on her merry way. "Well guys, it's been … _weird_. So ya' round." She blew them a kiss and then rode off on her shirshu. Bosco the bear seemed heartbroken to see Nyla go.

Zuko was relating to Aang, Katara and Sokka the events that had played out over the past few weeks. Toph interjected every once in a while, mostly to offer her exaggerated point of view of the events ("the Combustion Man nearly blew up all of Ba Sing Se"; "Mai and Jin fought in an epic death-match over Zuko"; "the waterfall was like, a thousand feet tall – I faced it bravely, unlike Zuko who whimpered like a little baby").

Once their story had been related, Aang took his turn. He told Zuko and the others about their search for the map pieces, the fifth air temple, and, most importantly, the revelation that Azula was really the Dark Avatar.

The news came as a bit of a surprise to Zuko, but he managed to get over the shock rather fast. "I mean, it makes sense," he said. "Her whole personality; her coldness; even as a child, it was like she was a sadistic monster."

"We have to stop her before the Autumnal Equinox," Aang replied. "We have to find a way to remove the Dark Avatar Spirit from her and seal it away again."

Zuko appeared thoughtful. "If we removed the Dark Avatar Spirit, what would happen to Azula? Will she still be herself, or will she just become an empty shell?"

"I don't know," Aang answered truthfully. "But whatever it does, it needs to be done. The fate of the earth is in jeopardy."

Zuko nodded. "I agree."

"Well, what are we waiting for," Toph asked. "Let's go clobber her!"

"That's what I intend to do," Aang replied solemnly. "That's why we've been traveling to the Fire Nation. We're going to face Azula head on."

Zuko bit his lip. "I'm not sure if that's exactly a good idea…"

"Why not?"

"Well … think about it. I know my father's mindset better than anyone else here. He's betting all of his hopes of conquering the world on Azula. He's not going to keep his secret weapon unprotected – especially since he knows you're gunning for her. My father probably has the entire Fire Nation military surrounding the capitol. If you just march in there looking for Azula … well, it'll be like your invasion during the Day of Black Sun."

"Well, what do you suggest," Aang asked. He didn't mean to come across so irritable, but he couldn't help it seeing as how close Katara was sitting to Zuko.

"My father's been operating behind the scenes. The world believes that the war is over, and my father wants them to continue to believe so. We need something that will get his attention. Something that will force him to act and put Azula into action sooner than he wished to if he wants the war to continue."

"What are you cooking up," Toph asked anxiously.

"Ba Sing Se," Zuko answered slowly. "My father vested a lot of manpower, money and plotting to conquer it. With Ba Sing Se under his control, he has an excellent base from which to coordinate attacks on other Earth Kingdom targets. If we were to put Aang at Ba Sing Se, and begin undermining my father's influence there … well, his best hope would be to pit Azula against Aang. It'll lure Azula right out of hiding – before she's fully mastered all four elements."

"A good plan," Sokka commented. "But how do we know Azula will take the bait?"

"Trust me … I know my sister. She'll jump at the chance for revenge against him – and to show off her new powers."

Sokka clapped Zuko on the back. "I like it, buddy. You and I will hammer out all the details, and we can leave as soon as Aang's ready. How's that sound, Aang?"

"Fine," he shrugged. He moved away from the group and began absentmindedly stroking Appa's fur.

Toph noticed him leave, and turned to Sokka. "Hey, Snoozles! Sorry to tear you away from your new boyfriend Zuko, but can I ask you something in private?"

"No problem."

Toph led Sokka away from the main group, and then turned to him. "Sokka, you know I can sense people's emotions, right?"

"Sure."

"Okay. I need to ask you this – it's very important. From the moment we arrived, I could sense a definite change taking hold over Aang. He's trying to control himself, but it seems as if he's become a lot more moody. Angry, even. I also sense a lot of sadness, grief, and a bunch of other nasty emotions. He's trying his best to be his normal, chipper self, but I think it's just an act. Did something happen during your journey to the Fifth Air Temple? Something he left out?"

Sokka thought about it. Should he tell Toph? Well, she would know if he was lying, and she also wouldn't stop pestering him until he told her. He slowly exhaled. "You have to promise you won't bring this up to anyone."

"Sure."

"Promise me, Toph."

"What do you want me to do, sign it in blood," she asked sarcastically.

"It would help."

"Shut up! You have my word."

Sokka sighed. "Okay. While we were at the Fifth Air Temple, Aang discovered that the monks that raised him had been plotting to conquer the world and rule over an Air Nomad empire. Monk Gyatso, his best friend, was one of the chief conspirators."

"Whew, that's heavy stuff," Toph admitted.

"Ever since then, Aang's been trying to deal with it – but it's like he lost a piece of his soul or something."

Toph nodded. "We'll have to keep an eye on him – and ensure that he recovers from all this. Man, that must have been a heavy blow."

Sokka nodded. "Well, they do say time heals all wounds."

Toph was quiet for a moment before she spoke again. "Well, not _all _wounds."

…

Night had fallen over the oasis. The group agreed to begin their to journey to Ba Sing Se the next morning. Aang decided to get some inner serenity going for him after his hectic experiences over the past few weeks, so he decided to take Chien's advice and meditate under Wei-Zhen's Falls.

It wasn't long before he had a vision.

…

_A party. There were couples everywhere, dancing happily, kissing. But where was his partner? He walked alone past the empty ballroom and went outside. An intense feeling of loneliness washed over him._

_ Where was Katara? Why wasn't she at this party with him?_

_ He happened to catch sight of a mirror and took in his reflection._

_ He saw himself – at least he though it was himself. He was old, wrinkled, with a long white beard flowing down his chest. His body was weak and withered._

_ His worst fear was coming true._

_ Aang was old and alone._

…

Aang awoke from the vision in a cold sweat. "What the -." That was the most horrible thing he had eve seen. Was this his future?

Was he destined to spend his life alone?

But wait … he had Katara. The two of them were destined to be together … weren't they?

Then he remembered something everyone had been telling him.

He would have to put his duties as Avatar before his personal happiness. Is that what was going to happen? Would he ultimately be forced to give up being with Katara in order to stop Azula?

He couldn't bear the thought. _"The future is not set in stone," _he told himself a little too firmly. Yes, that was it. He could change the future. He had defied fate before, having been frozen in a block of ice for a hundred years.

Or was that fate's plan all along?

His head was full of nothing but confusion.

"So much for serenity," he spat as he folded his arms.

…

Aang slowly left the lake and sat by some bushes, listening to the lake lap up against the shore. Everyone else was busy having a good time, catching up, etc. There was one person, however, who felt out of place and was also sitting by the lake.

"Jin, right," he asked.

The girl had been sitting near the edge of the falls, and she whirled around with a start. "Oh!"

"Sorry, didn't mean to frighten you."

"No harm done. Aang, right? I don't think we were formally introduced." They clasped hands.

"So how did you get mixed in with all this?" Aang was genuinely curious.

"What can I say? I was a refugee in Ba Sing Se, I saw a chance to get out of that rathole and I took it. That, and I wasn't about to let go of Zuko that -." She stopped in midsentence and clasped her hands over her mouth. She had said too much.

Aang decided to ignore that comment. He didn't want to embarrass the girl anymore than she was already.

However, he felt the need to confide in somebody, and felt it would be easier telling his woes to a stranger.

"My life's been so complicated these past few weeks. I discover that I have to save the world before a close deadline – again – and now I find out that those whom I trusted were really my enemies. Imagine that – my own people, conspiring to use me to conquer the world."

His words rung in his head. The Air Nomads planned to use him to stage a worldwide takeover. And yet, the Fire Nation was doing the same exact thing to Azula. _Maybe Azula and I aren't so different after all._

"I can't begin to imagine what that must feel like, Aang. But that's all in the past. Look to the future. Look at what you have now. You and Katara seem happy together.

"We are happy," he said. "At least I think we are."

"Sounds like you aren't too sure."

"Well … I know how _I_ feel about her. But what if she doesn't reciprocate the feelings?"

Jin chuckled. "She's been with you through thick and thin, Aang. She's faced certain death by your side and not backed down from it. If that doesn't spell love, I don't know what does." _If only Zuko would understand that I've been with him through thick and thin too, _she thought.

Aang seemed to be taking in her words. "Thanks Jin. You're pretty wise, you know that?"

"Well, you don't hang out with Zuko's uncle without picking up a few things."

Aang laughed. "Guess not."

Jin suddenly spotted something. "Someone's coming."

He and Jin watched as Katara sat on the rock beneath the falls and began meditating.

Jin tugged on Aang's arm. "Come on, we shouldn't intrude on her while she's meditating."

Aang couldn't look away. The way the water cascaded down around her – and the pale moonlight – Katara looked stunning.

Katara, meanwhile, was having a vision of her own.

…

_ She was surrounded by a platoon of Fire Nation troops. She fought valiantly, but was no match. The Imperial Firebenders began encircling her as Azula's laughter echoed across the battlefield._

_ Suddenly, a wave of fire swept through the Fire Nation troops, decimating their ranks. A figure – a man bathed in light, had come to her rescue. She watched as he bravely fought off the Fire Nation._

_ The soldiers were no match for this man's superior Firebending. Once the Fire Nation had been driven off, the man offered her his hand and helped her to her feet. His hands found her waist, and their heads moved closer … their lips parted…_

…

Katara jolted awake from the vision. "Whoa, what a dream!" She wondered who that radiant man was. She shrugged. It had to have been Aang – who else could it have been? It all fit together – he was an extremely powerful Firebender after all.

"Can I join you," came a voice next to her. Katara looked up to see Zuko.

"Sure."

"Truth be told, I needed to get away from Sokka. He's a cool guy, but man, he takes his planning seriously. He already has at least ten variations of my plan, and now he wants me to look at some blueprints for some new weapon he's developing. And no offense – his blueprints look like a two year old drew them."

"Yea, Sokka can get people's nerves from time to time. Or almost every second he's around you."

They shared a slight chuckle, and then silence for a moment. Finally Zuko spoke.

"Be thankful you have a relationship with your brother. I would kill to have a relationship with my sister – if it weren't for the fact that she's an evil psychopath."

"You actually care for your sister, huh?"

Zuko realized that he had been revealing a closely guarded secret and he moved quickly to cover it up. "No! Not at all! After everything she's put me through …"

"You don't sound sincere…"

He finally relented. "How could I not feel something for my sister? And now, with this news about her being the Dark Avatar … I don't know whether I should choose to despise her or pity her. I mean, she was born as the Dark Avatar – it's not like she wanted to be."

Katara nodded. "She may have been born that way, Zuko, but that doesn't excuse her actions. She _chose _to embrace that identity – just as she chooses to continue to follow that path. Ultimately, it's not what you're born as – it's what you become. It's what you choose to do in life that frames your identity."

Zuko remained silent under Katara's wise analysis. "You're right. Azula has chosen to follow a path of pain and destruction her entire life. She needs to be stopped once and for all. And … maybe … there's a way we can save her from herself."

"I like the way you think, Zuko. And I'm sure Aang would agree with you. He would want to stop Azula without bloodshed." She sighed. "At least, I think he would …"

Zuko's head snapped in her direction. "What do you mean?"

"I feel like Aang's drifting further away from me. It started at that air temple, and it's been occurring subtly ever since. I've been trying to give him space, find ways to cheer him up … it's worked somewhat, but I can sense he's still in a lot of pain. Everyone in the Spirit World's been warning him to control himself – but it's not easy. Imagine knowing your people have been trying to conquer the world!"

A grin spread over Zuko's face. "I've been dealing with that knowledge myself. Trust me, Katara. Aang's strong. If I can overcome the things my people have done, he certainly can too."

He put his hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "Everything will be alright, Katara. We'll find a way to stop my father and Azula – for good."

Katara allowed Zuko's words to wash over her. He greatly comforted her, and for just the briefest moment, she wondered if he wasn't the man in her vision. She quickly shoved the thought out of her mind.

"I have to go," she said quickly, and hurried away.

…

Aang and Jin had overheard their whole conversation. They moved away from the lakes and into some deep shrubbery. Jin had to help Aang since the young monk was hyperventilating.

"Katara thinks she and I are drifting apart," he wheezed. "This is bad! This is bad! Oh, she's going to break up with me, I just know it!"

"Aang, relax," Jin soothed. "This doesn't prove that you and Katara are breaking up. In fact, it proves that Katara truly cares about you. The fact that she's concerned about you and your relationship shows how much she loves you."

"How do you know?"

"Trust me – I'm a girl. I know these things." She kneeled down so that they were eye level. "Aang, I've never seen a couple more in love than you and Katara. What you have is special, and Katara realizes that. You're lucky to have her."

Aang nodded, calming down somewhat. "Thanks, Jin."

"No problem. You have nothing to worry about."

"Jin, one more thing? Could you not mention this to Katara or anyone?"

She beamed. "I won't – as long as you promise to stop worrying about Katara and start enjoying your relationship together!"

"Done."

Together, the two new friends went to join their other friends.

…...

Toph sat on the rock underneath the falls. She had decided to give this whole meditating thing a try. She didn't expect to have a vision – after all, can a blind person see a vision?

Toph closed her eyes and began trying to meditate. She hadn't ever done it in the past, so the whole thing was new. "How can I meditate in peace when I have those stupid falls thundering in my ears?"

So, she tried to tune out the waterfalls.

But then the crickets started chirping.

After tuning those out, she could smell the smell of Chien cooking up food. It did smell good…

"Why are there so many distractions?"

Humming loudly to herself, Toph did her best to block out any background noises and smells.

She began to feel at peace. Her heartbeat slowed every so slightly. The air felt warm and good. Her breathing was steady.

She was becoming more and more comfortable as the seconds passed.

And then she received a vision of her own.

…

When a person who is born blind has a vision, it is very different than a person who was born seeing. Toph couldn't see per se – but she was able to distinguish feelings, which blurred into mental images that she had constructed.

Toph allowed herself to enjoy it. She figured that this was as close to seeing as she would ever get.

But what she "saw" was something she wished she hadn't.

…

_The world was burning around her. She could feel the intense heat wafting off the flames; hear the screams of people crying in terror._

_ The Fire Nation was in disarray._

_ But a greater terror was ravaging the land._

_ Bodies of soldiers were strewn about, as the land continued to burn._

_ And there, standing in the middle of it all, was a familiar figure. He was all powerful, all the power of the universe bubbling through him._

_ And it was him that was responsible for the terror now engulfing the land._

…

Toph awoke nearly screaming. This vision couldn't be real. It just couldn't. He couldn't do what she "saw" him doing – he couldn't have all that blood on his hands. He wouldn't hurt anybody.

She heard someone approach and sit down next to her on her rock. "You have seen the future," Chien said.

"I – I don't know," she breathed.

"I have seen this vision of the future as well. Numerous times. It is what will happen if the Avatar does not learn to place his duties before his own wants and needs. It has happened before. Avatars who fail to master their desires become slaves to them."

"But Aang … he couldn't … he wouldn't hurt a teetsie-fly."

"Aang as he is now would not hurt a teetsie-fly. But what about the Aang of the future?"

"He's the Avatar. The Avatar is supposed to be a force for good!"

"The Avatar and the Dark Avatar are extreme manifestations and representations of good and evil. However, that does not always define them. The Avatar is capable of doing evil, while the Dark Avatar is also capable of doing good. Who's to say which one is truly the Dark Avatar and the Light Avatar? It's not what role they were assigned that defines them – it's what they do."

"But the Avatar has always …"

"No, Avatars have not always been good. Some have been corrupted. The Avatar, under the right circumstances, could become just as much of a monster as the Dark Avatar. Remember the tale of Avatar Ko-Rei. An Avatar who became so corrupt, that he was removed from the Avatar Cycle."

"They couldn't remove Aang from the Avatar Cycle. He's not going to destroy the world – he's trying to save it!"

"Avatar Ko-Rei tried saving the world – but his view of 'saving' was distorted. He decided that he would 'save' the world by any means necessary – if that involved killing civilians, so be it. Keep in mind how he began his downward spiral. Avatar Ko-Rei was a young man in love – and his heartbreak was the first major event that started his fall."

"But Katara won't break Aang's heart."

"While the visions you and I received are not absolute, it is important to remember that history repeats itself. Aang has already begun to follow in Avatar Ko-Rei's footsteps. You and your friends must stand by him, and make sure that he does not follow Avatar Ko-Rei's path to the end."

Chien stood up, leaving Toph in her musings.

Sokka's voice was calling out to her. "Hey, Toph, Chien's throwing us a barbecue! Get some food before I eat it all!"

"Coming," she exclaimed. She stood up, dusted herself off, and a truly shaken Toph went to join her friends.

…

Author's Note: _He guys, sorry about the long update time again. I know I keep promising to update sooner, but you know, between schoolwork and everything else…_

_ As I said before, I will try to keep the shipping canon – don't despair if certain ships start to appear, all is necessary for the advancement of the plot._

_ Please R&R!_


	16. Chapter 16: The Replica and the Lily

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

…

Book 4:

Air

Chapter sixteen: The Replica and the Lily

…

The rising sun cast a golden shine across the grand city of Ba Sing Se, casting early morning shadows across the ground. There was the usual hustle and bustle as the citizens awoke, preparing themselves for the day. Vendors set up their stalls, the children trudged along to school, and businessmen kissed their wives goodbye for the day.

Ba Sing Se was at peace with itself. Its economy was booming, its patrons happy, and food was becoming plentiful – even for the refugees. Times were good.

And none of them suspected that Ba Sing Se was in the midst of a silent takeover…

…

A certain merchant was making his way down the street, whistling calmly to himself as he pulled a cart piled high with cabbages merrily behind him. He paused to sell one of his cabbages to a squat elderly woman. "That'll be two silver coins, please."

The woman muttered to herself as she dug her hand into a small sack filled with coins. "Two silver coins for a measly cabbage, outrageous…"

The cabbage merchant looked as though she had slapped him. "_Measly cabbages? _I'll have you know that these are the best darn cabbages this side of Omashu! If you don't like my prices, how about you take your business elsewhere?"

The woman hastily paid and marched away from the merchant as fast as she could, throwing him scandalized looks over her shoulder. The cabbage merchant, meanwhile, was humming to himself as he lovingly stroked his produce.

The sudden sound of laughter echoed down the street as a gang of vagrant children raced each other down the road – chased by a man in professional attire.

"Get back here you brats! No one plays hooky on my watch!"

The kids sneered at the truant officer over their shoulders as they ran faster and faster.

The cabbage merchant wouldn't have paid them much mind – except for the tiny detail that they were headed right for his cart and his precious cabbages. He shielded himself in front of the cart as though prepared to sacrifice his life for his vegetables.

The children didn't seem to notice that the merchant or his cart were right in front of them. As they approached, the merchant took in their appearance. There was a boy (or was it a girl?), a smaller boy wearing a helmet, and a giant teenager with a large belly. The larger teen was the one that worried the cabbage merchant the most. His heavy footfalls shook the ground. He would plow right over him and then all of his cabbages would be nothing but a pile of goo.

They were now inches away. The merchant closed his eyes, bracing himself for impact.

It didn't come.

Instead, there was the sound of a heavy landing from behind his cart, and he dared to open his eyes. The small gang of kids had jumped clean over his cart. The truant officer couldn't make the jump, but he swerved at the last second and circumvented the cart.

"Delinquents," the merchant muttered, steadying his cabbages. He watched with mild interest as the truant officer gained on the children.

Then, something whizzed through the air, and the next thing anyone knew, the truant officer was immobilized. "What the?" He looked down to see an arrow pinning the tails of his cloak to the ground.

The small kid wearing a helmet waved at someone up above. "Nice aim, Longshot!"

Up above, another teen wearing a wide brim hat and holding a bow nodded soundlessly.

Rolling his eyes, the merchant decided that this was not the safest street for his business. He pulled his cart away down a side alley. The street he exited unto was relatively deserted, and he doubted that he would be able to make a decent sale here – but then again, less people meant less dangers for his cabbages.

As he prepared to set up shop, he noticed something exceedingly strange. A group of men were huddled in a circle. They were talking in a very businesslike fashion, and one of the men flashed several gold coins. Then a small chest's worth. Whoever these people were, they were loaded. If ever it was time for his effective selling techniques, it was now.

He prepared to pull his cart fully out of the alley, when he caught a bit of what they were saying.

"We're in agreement then … all this gold, and you ship several dozen armaments and supplies to our troops here."

One of the other men nodded. "We should have your entire weapons shipment here within the next few days."

_Weapons shipments?_ The cabbage merchant certainly didn't like the sound of that. He listened more closely. The other man was talking again.

"Good. However, we can't risk the general populace discovering this plan. It would ruin our surprise takeover."

"What are you suggesting then, Ying?"

"My men have been working for weeks putting these Earthbending morons to work digging tunnels deep underground. They believe that we're building new and enhanced plumbing systems." He spat on the ground. "Idiots. Once the Phoenix King gives us the go-ahead, we'll flood this city with our troops. Little does this city know that we already have a battalion of troops stationed here disguised as Earth Kingdom citizens."

_Phoenix King? Invasion? _The cabbage merchant had heard enough. Apparently, there were numerous Fire Nation troops disguised as Earthbenders hiding out in Ba Sing Se. And now, they were preparing for a full scale invasion.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the merchant backed his way into the alley, heading for the street behind him. Once he was sure that the Fire Nation cronies wouldn't see him, he pushed his cart into a run.

Desperate as he was to put as much distance as possible between himself and the Fire Nation, the merchant didn't see the truant officer still pinned to the ground, trying to free himself.

BAM!

The cart collided into the man, and the cabbages went flying. The merchant screamed, desperately pushing his cart this way and that, managing to catch them in the cart before they hit the ground. Sighing a breath of relief, he relaxed.

Until a group of muggers appeared and nabbed the truant officer's expensive boots and coat. They also ran off with the merchant's cabbages, laughing their heads off.

That was it. The merchant couldn't contain himself any longer. With the truant officer in tow, he gave chase, screaming at the top of his lungs and waving his arms like a madman.

"MY CABBAGES!"

…

"Good ol' Ba Sing Se," Sokka exclaimed. Appa had alighted in the Upper Ring of the city, and his occupants slid off.

"It's a shame the Earth King couldn't be here," Toph said.

"Well, it's better that he stay with Chien at Wei-Zhen's Falls. He'll be safer there until we get this whole Fire Nation thing sorted out." Aang scratched his bald head. "Okay, so now that we're here, what do we do now?"

"We need to figure out how deep the Fire Nation infestation is here," Zuko replied. "Then you need to hit them where it hurts. My father will be forced to send Azula to deal with you if he hopes the war to continue."

"You better hope this plan of yours works, Sparkey," remarked Toph. "Remember, the Autumnal Equinox is only a few weeks away, and by then…" She made an exploding sound with her mouth and waved her arms for dramatic effect.

"There's nothing to worry about," Sokka said. "We've dealt with deadlines before, right Aang?" He playfully punched the Avatar on the shoulder. Aang didn't seem to feel it. In fact, he was staring at a wall opposite them, at a piece of paper.

Zuko's followed Aang's gaze and his eyes settled upon the same piece of paper. "A WANTED poster?"

There was a crudely drawn image of Aang on the poster, and at the bottom, there was hastily scribbled writing. _WANTED. For the kidnapping of Earth King Kuei. _

"People must've been getting suspicious about the Earth King's absence," Sokka said. "So the Fire Nation must be tricking the people into believing that you kidnapped him."

"Look, there's another one." This WANTED poster had a scribbled picture of Sokka on it. And there was another with Katara, one with Zuko, one with Mai, one with Jin and another one that showed a particularly buff Toph.

Sokka gazed at his poster with admiration. "Hmm, at least they caught my strong, manly jaw. And Toph, they drew you as some kind of muscle-bound hulk."

"Alright," she exclaimed. "An accurate representation – just like the Ember Island Players gave."

Everyone but Sokka, Jin and Mai visibly shuddered at the memory. Eager to forget about the whole play, Aang cleared his throat. "But this is a good start. We haven't even been here and we're starting to get under the Fire Nation's skin. We just need to push them over the edge now – bait Azula into the open."

"I agree. In fact – _ark!_" Sokka never got to finish his sentence. Rocks snaked up his ankles, binding him in place.

Several Dai Li agents slid down the walls, surrounding the group. "You're all under arrest," the leader said.

Toph rolled her eyes. "Please, we've kicked you guys' butts so many times it's almost become like a chore." She moved into a new stance, preparing for battle.

She never got the chance. A jet of fire blasted one of the Dai Li off his feet. Another surge of flames pushed the others back. Clearly outmatched, the Dai Li made a break for it, swearing that they would be back.

As the gang looked about for their hero, a hooded man appeared out of the shadows and beckoned them.

Aang hesitated.

_"There's no time," _the man whispered urgently. _"Hurry!"_

"How do we know we can trust you, Firebender?" Sokka's tone was accusatory.

The man threw back his hood.

"Uncle!" Zuko was ecstatic.

Sokka gulped, having just made a fool out of himself. Iroh continued to beckon them on. "Hurry. We have to get to safety quickly."

He led the gang onward. They moved into the shadows, and Zuko drew up close to his uncle, trying to engage him in conversation.

_"Not now," _Iroh whispered. _"They have spies everywhere. We don't know who's listening."_

After ten minutes of darting through alleyways and secret shortcuts, Iroh led them to an old, dilapidated building that had definitely seen better days. Iroh knocked on an old, rusty door, which Aang was pretty sure would cave in at any moment.

A flap in the door opened up and a pair of eyes met them. "Password?"

"Come on," Iroh said. "You know it's me."

"Yea, well, can't be too sure," the owner of the eyes answered. His eyes narrowed. "How do I know it's not an assassin disguised as you?"

Iroh shrugged. "Good point. The password is PASSWORD."

"Good man." The door swung open silently and Iroh trotted in. The rest of the gang stood there momentarily stunned.

"The password is password?" To Zuko, the credulity of it surpassed words.

"Hey, no one's ever guessed it," Iroh answered, and before they could press the issue, he led them all inside. Once inside, they were all aghast.

The outside of this building was certainly not indicative of its interior. It looked more like a war room. There was a circular, three-dimensional map of Ba Sing Se in the center. Posters of thuggish looking men and women lined the wall, and all of the curtains were drawn over the windows, shading them in obscurity. "Do you like it," Iroh asked beaming. "It's a small base for the Order of the White Lotus."

"Careful, Iroh," said the man who had let them in. Aang turned and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was Jeong Jeong. The Firebending master frowned disapprovingly at Aang, who withered under his gaze.

"Don't slouch like that, boy," Jeong Jeong snapped. "Slouching makes your bending stances sloppy. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's poor posture!"

"Leave the Avatar alone," Iroh said calmly, pouring cups of tea for them all. "The Avatar has just had a long journey."

"That's no excuse, General Iroh! What if the Dark Avatar were to storm in here right now? How would you fare against her with your sloppy stances?"

Zuko moved forward to placate the master. "Jeong Jeong, we've just had -."

"And you," Jeong Jeong roared, turning his attention to Zuko. "You are no better Fire Lord. I have heard about your journeys over the past few weeks. Tell me, why have you not been able to produce lightning?"

Zuko felt himself going red in the face. "I-."

"I can see that you have not been practicing your stances either. Lightning is all about how you position your body. If you are slouched over, how can you hope to accurately channel your chi out through your fingertips?"

"Jeong Jeong," Iroh intervened pleasantly. "I need you to attend to Iggy. He has been shirking his chores all morning and perhaps needs a stern talking to."

Jeong Jeong's eyes bulged. "What? Shirking his duties? If there's one thing I can't stand, it's laziness! I'll have his head on a silver platter for this! He could have put us back a whole month, why when I get through with him …" His voice could still be heard as he stomped down a narrow hallway.

Iroh wiped sweat out of his forehead. "Now that he's distracted – and now that we have the Avatar – we can get down to business." He directed them to a series of chairs around a table bearing the White Lotus insignia.

"Uncle, what is this place," asked Zuko.

"This is one of many safe houses for the Order of the White Lotus. This is a place where we members can meet and safely organize plans. It also serves as living quarters, and in the basement, we have a small prison cell set up in case we need to interrogate any prisoners"

"Who else is here," Aang asked, hoping that King Bumi was lurking around somewhere.

"So far, Jeong Jeong is here. We have Iggy, he's a new member and not quite on the ball, if you know what I mean." He stopped to stir some sugar into his tea. "I haven't called too many members here because I don't want to draw attention to us. Jeong Jeong and I are the only Grand Lotuses here." Everyone raised their eyes skeptically at him.

As if reading the apprehension on their faces he hastily added, "Don't worry, if we need help, Bumi, Piandao and Pakku will all be here in a flash."

"So you three are the only ones here," Aang asked.

"Goodness no!" He lowered his voice conspiratorially. "There is another, higher-ranking member. Higher even than a grand lotus. A Supreme Lotus!" He said it with the utmost pride. "In fact, he's in one of the bedrooms here, napping at this very moment." His eyes glowed with delight.

"Really? Who is he? Can we meet him?" Toph seemed too excited for her own good.

Iroh hummed good-naturedly as he sipped his tea. "I'm afraid not. None of you are initiated into the Order, and so it's against the rules for you to meet, or even know the name of, a Supreme Lotus."

"So we can't meet him?"

"Only if he personally requests an audience with you. But that's _highly_ unlikely. The Supreme Lotus is immensely busy."

"But you just said he was taking a nap," Zuko said.

Iroh pretended not to hear what he was saying. Instead, he drained his tea in one gulp and placed it on the table. "To business," he said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "The Fire Nation has taken control of Ba Sing Se – again."

Aang nodded. "I know. And I'm here to stop it."

Iroh leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled together before him. "The Fire Nation is moving more subtly this time. They haven't overtly taken control – yet. Instead, they have placed several of their men in positions of key power. Ying is personally overseeing them all."

Zuko clenched his fist. Ying had crossed him one too many times, and he was determined to make him pay for his crimes.

"The Earth King generals have no idea how great the infestation is. General How is followed at all times. Many Fire Nation troops have been sneaking into the city over the past month, pretending to be Earth Kingdom refugees. It's not a pretty sight. And, we have some information that the Fire Nation is planning to overrun us by infiltrating the city by underground tunnels."

"Doesn't anyone know," Katara asked. "Isn't anybody aware of what's going on?"

"Unfortunately not. In fact, most citizens of Ba Sing Se still believe that Fire Lord Zuko is on the throne. To make matters more complicated, the Fire Nation has tricked Ba Sing Se into believing that you, Zuko, are personally here in the city making negotiations with the Earth Kingdom leadership."

"They've tricked everybody that I'm here? How?"

Iroh bit his lip. "It seems that they have found an actor or something to play the part of you. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I'd have sworn it was you. He looks exactly like you, right down to the last detail."

Zuko was outraged. "So wait! There's an identical … _me_ running around Ba Sing Se doing the bidding of the Fire Nation?"

"It appears so. He's being used to quell rumors that the Fire Nation is preparing to continue the war. A clever ploy conceived by my brother, no doubt. Keep the citizens in a false sense of security, and when they least suspect it – attack."

Zuko stood up. "I want to see him. I want to see this … this _fake_ with my own eyes!"

"You will in time, no doubt. But we mustn't be too hasty. Now that we have the Avatar in our midst, it is time to begin planning."

"We already have a plan," Aang spoke. "I need to cause as much trouble for the Fire Nation here as I can. We need to lure Azula out into the open where I can defeat her once and for all."

Iroh seemed to rub his chin. "I see. We need to get the Fire Nation's attention. We need to show them that you're a big enough threat to warrant making an overt move. Knowing the arrogance of my brother and niece, they'll believe that Azula is more than a match for you. They'll want to destroy the Avatar before all of Ba Sing Se and show the world that none can stand before the Fire Nation anymore." He chortled. "My brother never learns from his mistakes, does he?"

"What are the best ways we can get the Fire Nation's attention," Katara inquired.

Iroh stroked his beard. "According to one of our spies, there's a small shipment of armaments arriving today. No doubt that they'll be using our underground tunnels. Destroy the armaments, but let the Fire Nation troops escorting them escape. We of course need witnesses that the Avatar is causing trouble in Ba Sing Se."

Aang nodded. "Great. Let's get going guys!"

Zuko shook his head. "Aang, I think you, Katara and Toph should be able to handle it. I need to see this 'fake me' with my own eyes." He turned to Sokka, who was picking lint out of his belly button. "Think you can come with me, Sokka?"

"No problem, bud," he answered, flicking the lint into Iroh's empty tea cup.

Zuko and Sokka stood up, wrapping a cloak around their faces so that they wouldn't be recognized.

Iroh clasped his hands on Jin and Mai's shoulders. "I'm sure two nice young ladies such as you wouldn't mind keeping an old man company. Besides, you two may be able to help out the Order here."

Zuko raised his eyebrows. "Mai, try not to kill Jin."

"No promises."

…

Deep beneath the city of Ba Sing Se ran a crisscrossing network of underground passages and tunnels that had been built by unsuspecting Earthbenders. Convinced that they were building new and improved plumbing systems, they worked hard during the day; not realizing that they were really building tunnels that would lead to an outright invasion.

Today, however, the Earthbenders had been given the afternoon off. The Fire Nation overlords that secretly controlled them didn't want them realizing the true purpose of the tunnels.

A small convoy of Fire Nation troops carried several carts full of weapons and armaments. They were overlooked by two superiors – one, a young lieutenant; the other, an older captain.

"Hurry up, you fools," barked the captain. "This shipment is already an hour overdue! If it hadn't been for Lee's annoyingly _small _bladder, we'd have been there already!"

One of the soldiers, Lee, managed a sheepish smile as he pushed the cart, his cheeks turning pink.

Suddenly, the convoy came to a grinding halt. The captain's eye twitched. "Well what's the hold up?" One of his troops pointed ahead.

"Look."

Up ahead, blocking their path, was the oddest trio that they had ever seen. A girl from the Water Tribes, a blind girl and some punk kid with an arrow on his head. The captain snorted. _An arrow? These young people's fashions are getting stranger and stranger these days._ But wait. Something didn't seem right. There was something nagging him in the back of his brain – something about a kid with an arrow.

The next thing he knew, the kid was waving a staff and a gust of wind knocked back several carts. The armaments all went ballistic, exploding all over the place, causing him and his guards to duck for cover.

The blind girl, who was evidently an Earthbender, kicked the ground, causing a fissure to rupture underneath them.

The girl from the Water Tribe blasted them with a jet of water, throwing his men back.

Well, the captain wasn't going to stand for that. He was going to fight bravely.

So, he grabbed the younger lieutenant and shoved him towards the trio. "Deal with them!"

The lieutenant made to attack – but never got the chance. As a flame appeared in his hand, he suddenly found his entire body encased in rock.

The Arrow Kid looked over at the captain, who was trembling with a mixture of nerves and fury.

"You want some of this?"

The captain stood firmly, his hand jerking as though he would love nothing more than to throttle the boy. He looked around at his unconscious men and his lieutenant trapped in rock.

"That's it, boy! I'll take you apart piece by bloody piece!"

"Not sure that's such a good idea," the blind girl said nonchalantly. "I mean, I don't think it's too smart of you to take on the Avatar all by yourself."

The captain's face turned an ashen white. "The … the _Avatar_?"

Suddenly, he remembered the significance of a boy with an arrow on his head. He was up against the Avatar. Snarling, he moved his body as though to attack …

Then he suddenly turned and hightailed it out of there. "Nuts to this," he yelled as his legs carried him away at top speed.

…

Aang dusted his hands off. "Alright, good start. If we keep causing trouble like this, Ozai'll have no choice _but _to sick Azula on us."

"I sure hope so," Toph said slyly. "I'm still kind of upset that Sugar Queen and Sparkey had Azula all to themselves during the Comet while I was stuck babysitting Sokka."

…

"I can't believe it! It's true! If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'd swear that Uncle was pulling my leg!"

Zuko and Sokka were sitting on a rooftop in the Upper Ring, hoods pulled tightly over their faces to conceal themselves. Down below, there was a meeting of Earth Kingdom Generals, dignitaries … and an exact replica of Zuko. The real Zuko was in shock as "Fake Zuko" was giving a speech to the dignitaries as they sat at a long table in an open courtyard.

"I don't believe it! He's even got my scar!"

Indeed, Fake Zuko's flesh covering his left eye was burned and raw.

Zuko was sputtering over himself in amazement. "I … but … how …"

Sokka whistled softly. "The Fire Nation must have one hell of a makeup artist."

"Possibly. But how could they be so exact?"

Below, Fake Zuko was finishing his speech with the dignitaries. "You have my full assurance," he was saying, "that the Fire Nation is not building up its arms."

A general cleared his throat. "We are to take it that you are moving for full demobilization."

"Absolutely. Even now, most of our men are on the trek home."

Another dignitary spoke up. "But what of the rumors of cities on the eastern borders of the Earth Kingdom being attacked?"

Fake Zuko smiled. "Rumors. Nothing more. In fact, our troops on the eastern borders are in danger of attacks from small deranged mobs – jaded Earth Kingdom citizens no doubt. I hope that puts to rest some of your doubts."

"Not entirely," said a man whom Sokka recognized as General How. "The Fire Nation has not done anything to show that we should trust it again. Until the Earth Kingdom is completely _free_ of the presence of Imperial Firebenders, my doubts will still remain."

The dignitaries nodded in agreement.

"If you'll excuse me," How said as he stood up and bowed politely, "but I have business to attend to elsewhere. Good day, Fire Lord." He walked out of the courtyard. The other dignitaries followed suit, dispersing and each going their way, leaving Fake Zuko alone at the table.

The imposter drummed his fingers impatiently and kept nervously looking at the nearby sundial as though expecting someone.

After several moments wait, a lone figure emerged from the other side of the courtyard. Fake Zuko's eyes narrowed. "You're late."

"Now is that any way to treat your superior," Ying asked, cocking his head. He towered over the fraud, his arms folded. "You were supposed to put those dignitaries completely at ease."

"I tried," snapped Fake Zuko exasperatedly. "It's not _my _fault. These Earth Kingdom types aren't too quick to trust!"

"Nevertheless, your assignment is to fool those idiots into believing that you're the real Zuko and lull them into a false sense of security. Then we spring our trap upon them." A red gleam was appearing in Ying's eyes, and he rubbed his hands greedily. "I can't wait until those fools see our armies flood them like a river."

Fake Zuko twirled his finger in the air in bored motion. _"Yipee."_

"You don't seem too pleased."

"Well, when I took this assignment, I thought I would be getting something … you know … _a little hands on_!"

"Ah, so you crave some action. You'll have your fill, don't worry. The real Zuko is bound to show up. When he does, you have the Phoenix King's permission to dispose of him as you see fit. In fact, I leave him to you, personally."

Fake Zuko seemed to brighten up a bit. Ying, meanwhile, was heading for the courtyard's exit. "I'll be seeing you later for a report on your activities. I expect you'll have some better results next time. After all, you were a heavy investment on the Phoenix King's part." Fake Zuko watched him leave with narrowed eyes and gave an insulting gesture behind his back.

_"I'll give you a heavy investment," _he snarled under his breath.

He finally stood up to leave, only to have someone drop down from above and block his exit. Fake Zuko gaped as he found himself face to face with the real Zuko.

"YOU!"

A ball of fire appeared in Fake Zuko's hands.

The next second, he collapsed on the ground unconscious. Zuko looked up to see Sokka beaming at him, holding a rock in his hand.

"Nice one, Sokka."

"So what do we do with him," the Water Tribe boy asked.

Zuko scratched his chin. "Uncle said that they have a jail cell in the cellar of the base. We'll lock him up until we can figure out what to do with him."

…

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!"

Fake Zuko gripped the bars tightly, ranting and raving like a madman. Zuko, Aang, Toph, Katara, Sokka, Jin, Mai and Iroh crowded around his cell completely baffled at the screaming replica of Zuko.

"I don't understand this," Aang said. "Zuko, are you a twin or something?"

"Not to my knowledge. And even if I was, how come he's got my scar?"

"It could be makeup," Mai answered.

Sokka rubbed his chin interestedly, and then stuck his fingers through the bar and began poking and prodding Fake Zuko's scar.

"DON'T TOUCH ME YOU FILTH!"

Sokka let out a yelp and withdrew his hand, nursing his index finger. "I don't believe it! He _bit_ me!"

After a few moments of trying to solve this enigma, the group headed back upstairs, still trying to wrap their minds around it.

Mai was muttering under her breath. "This is really creepy … even for me."

Jin, however, seemed almost delighted. "But, maybe it's not so bad. Now there are _two _Zukos." She began motioning towards Mai and herself. "One for me and one for you."

Mai took a deep breath and held it, trying to keep her temper in check.

Aang, meanwhile, tried to change the subject as he reclined on a cushiony chair and began absentmindedly playing with Momo. "So Mai, Jin – what kind of work did Iroh put you guys up to? He said he was going to have you do something for the Order?"

Mai and Jin exchanged dark glances.

"If you could call it work. It was more like us doing his lousy chores."

Aang sat upright. "How so."

Jin began counting off her fingers. "First we had to make his tea just right – no problem for me, I've been working for him for several months now. After that, we had to scrub the floors, he made us clean his dirty laundry, cook him lunch, and then … and then …" She didn't seem to want to complete her sentence.

"He made us rub his smelly feet," Mai finished. Both girls visibly shuddered. Zuko shuddered with them.

There was a loud crash, and a thud. Aang immediately sprang to his feet, staff poised.

"Relax," soothed Mai. "That was just Iggy probably breaking something again. He is so accident prone."

From out of another room came a scrawny looking teen, not much older than Zuko. He was heavily pimpled and bespectacled. His trousers were hiked several inches above his ankles and he wore thick long socks. "Hey everybody, I'm Iggy," he said in an incredibly nasal voice. He moved towards the kitchen and came back with several piping hot cups of tea.

"This is a new blend," he was saying. "General Iroh's been asking me to buy him some new tea flavors. This is an exotic blend that some foreign guy sold me. Enjoy."

The sound of someone screaming nearly made Iggy drop the tray. Sokka had to grab him to stop him from falling over and scalding them all with hot tea.

"IGGY! THAT'S THE TENTH ORNAMENT YOU'VE BROKEN THIS WEEK!"

Iggy gulped as he quickly handed the tray to Sokka. "Oh cripes – Jeong Jeong! He'll skin me alive this time. Please don't tell me you saw me come this way!" And with that, he was gone.

They heard a moan coming from upstairs and Iroh suddenly leapt to his feet, pressing his fingers to his lips. "_Sshhh!_ You've woken the Supreme Lotus!" He darted to an upstairs bedroom. They could hear him faintly singing a lullaby upstairs. His voice cracked horribly, but then there was the sound of snoring.

Iroh came tiptoeing downstairs. _"A man needs his rest," _he was muttering to himself. _"A man needs his rest."_

Toph made the "crazy" motion with her finger.

Iroh's eyes fell on the tea. "Ooh, is that a new blend of tea?" He grabbed the nearest cup, and inhaled the fumes like a professional wine taster. "Not a bad smell at all." And with that, he sipped his tea, his eyes half closed, immensely enjoying himself.

And then he keeled over.

For a moment, everything was silent.

Then Jin and Katara shrieked, while Toph, Aang, Sokka and Zuko ran over to Iroh who was laying facedown. His eyes had rolled up into his head and dribble ran out of his slack mouth.

"UNCLE!" It was the most frightening thing that ever happened to Zuko. Uncle was the only real parental figure left in his life. "UNCLE!" He looked around desperately. "Don't just stand there, help me!"

His words seemed to jolt everybody out of their initial shock.

"What do we do?" Sokka was panicking.

"Help me prop him up!"

"Right!" Sokka helped Zuko lift his uncle and they laid him on a couch, propping several pillows underneath his head.

"Katara, use your spirit water," Zuko ordered.

Sweat was pouring down everyone's heads. Toph got fidgety and she lowered her head. "I-I'll go get some Jeong Jeong or - or something," she stuttered incoherently. With that, she darted out of the room, shielding her face with her hands.

Jin was biting her fingernails, Aang was pacing, Sokka seemed to be on the verge of collapse – even Mai seemed ill poised to suppress her emotions this time. Zuko just sat on a chair staring ahead, moving his mouth wordlessly. He didn't even seem to be in this world.

A bead of sweat poured down Katara's forehead as she worked her spirit water over the man's body. After about five minutes of trying, she moved the water back into her satchel.

Toph had come back with Jeong Jeong.

"Well," Zuko asked impatiently. He didn't mean to be so snippy with Katara, but he couldn't help himself. He was too impatient to hear the news of his uncle.

"He's not dead," Katara replied somberly. "Merely unconscious. But it's weird. I keep trying to revive him – but I just can't."

"You can't."

Jeong Jeong carefully picked up Iroh's now emptied tea cup. He tasted some of the last dregs still left in it, and quickly spat it on the ground. "Poison," he muttered. "Someone tried to poison us all." He looked around. "Who made the tea?"

"Iggy," Zuko answered apprehensively.

Jeong Jeong's face went beet red. "I'll be right back!" He marched off, looking very sulky.

Zuko was greatly relieved that his uncle was still alive, but was still severely shaken and worried. Sokka helped him move the old man to a bedroom upstairs, where the entire group congregated around him. Zuko sat with his face in his hands while Katara and Mai both rubbed his shoulders sympathetically.

Jeong Jeong came back upstairs, holding Iggy by the ear. Iggy was wincing.

"Okay, I want the truth. Where did you get the tea," the Firebending Master demanded.

"I got it from the market," whined Iggy.

Jeong Jeong tugged harder on his ear.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Okay, I'll talk! I got it from some foreign guy. He met me in the underground tunnels, told me that he could get me some foreign tea for a great price."

"And you believed him?" Jeong Jeong was incredulous.

"It was a bargain!"

"You fool! You should have known that was illegal, if not downright dangerous. That tea most likely came from the Fire Nation!"

"I – I wasn't thinking!"

"Well that was obvious," Zuko snapped. He no longer felt pity for this idiot standing before him.

Jeong Jeong was steaming. "Your rank within the Order of the White Lotus is hereby revoked pending a hearing before several Grand Loti. For now, you're on garbage duty."

Iggy nodded, apologizing profusely, and fled downstairs.

Zuko, meanwhile was staring back at his uncle's unconscious form. He seemed almost to be in a deeply sound sleep.

"What kind of poison was that," he inquired.

Jeong Jeong opened his mouth to speak, when a voice behind him cut him off.

"It's a very rare poison – and slow acting. It puts the person in a deep sleep and saps their energy. If it's not treated within twenty four hours, Iroh will die."

Everyone turned to see a small man dressed in simple Earth Kingdom garb. Jeong Jeong, however, quickly prostrated himself on the ground. "Honorable and Noble Supreme Lotus."

The Supreme Lotus waved him away. "That's not necessary every time I enter a room, Jeong Jeong."

Sokka leaned in close to Aang. "Is it me, or does that Supreme Lotus guy seem kind of familiar?"

Aang narrowed his eyes. "Yea, he does, actually …" _But where have I seen him before?_

The Supreme Lotus was still talking. "The only cure is the Bu Shong lily. A cup of tea made from the leaves of the Bu Shong should cure him. But the problem is, the Bu Shong is rather rare. Almost extinct, even."

"So how do we get it," Zuko asked.

"The Bu Shong can be found in a nearby town. The only one left in the area I believe. The Bu Shong never withers or grows old – the only problem is that that particular town reveres it as a relic. It won't be easy getting them to surrender it."

"Always a hitch," mumbled Toph.

"And that's not the worst of it. The town is headed by Chin VIII, a descendant of Chin the Conqueror who was defeated by Avatar Kyoshi. Chin VIII doesn't have the following or military power of his ancestor, but he's just as nasty. It'll take someone gifted with extreme cunning to get the Bu Shong from his clutches."

"I'll go," Zuko stated. Everyone looked at him. "What? I'm plenty cunning. I was cunning enough to nearly catch Aang dozens of times." He looked at Mai. "Will you watch over Uncle for me, Mai." She nodded glumly, and Zuko gave her a quick peck on the lips for thanks.

"I'll come," Aang volunteered, but Zuko shook his head.

"You don't have time for things like this," Zuko was saying. "You remember the plan – you need to stick with it."

"But I-."

"The world is running out of time, Aang. You need to lure Azula out into the open."

"You're not going alone," Katara said suddenly, standing up. "I'll come with you."

"Katara -."

"You and I managed to handle Azula together. I'm sure after her, this Chin guy will be a cinch."

Zuko nodded in defeat. "Okay, you win. Aang, I'm going to need to borrow Appa. And I need directions to this town."

The Supreme Lotus raised his hand. "I can help you there. Just let me rummage through my old maps." He turned and walked away, humming to himself.

As the group slowly began to file out of the room, Sokka suddenly grabbed Aang by the arm. "I think I just realized who that Supreme Lotus guy is!"

"Really? Who?"

"Remember that cabbage merchant that we always kept running into?"

Aang's mouth dropped. "You're right. It _is _him, I'm sure of it!"

And so it was.

…

For the rest of the afternoon, Mai and Jin kept silent watch over Iroh, whose breathing was growing more and more ragged.

Aang, Sokka and Toph ambushed three more groups of Imperial Firebenders, some of whom were disguised as Earthbenders. Word was spreading fast among the ranks of the Fire Nation that the Avatar was back – kicking butt and taking names.

A messenger hawk was released into the sky – addressed to the Phoenix King.

…

Appa alighted on the outskirts of a large town. The duo melded their way through the empty, barren streets. "Look at this place." Katara couldn't believe her eyes. Houses were run down, and the distressed occupants peered out their windows as though terrified that Katara and Zuko might decide to attack. Posters appeared everywhere of a man with a thick beard and a proud smile.

"I'm assuming that this is the Chin guy," Zuko said, staring at the poster.

"What I don't understand is why the Earth King didn't help these people."

"I don't think he was even aware. Remember, Long Feng kept the Earth King ignorant of events going on outside of Ba Sing Se. I'm sure he and the Dai Li had a nice little pact going on with this Chin fellow."

Just then, the duo found themselves surrounded by an angry militia. The soldiers advanced on them with spears and staves. Katara prepared to attack, but Zuko placed his hand on top of hers.

"No," he warned. "They'll take us to Chin – then we can get that lily."

Nodding, Katara fixed her skirt so that her water-filled satchel was hidden from view. She then screwed up her face into a look of pure terror, just to make it convincing.

"Outsiders are not allowed here," the lead militiaman thundered. "By order of Chin VIII, the Mighty, you are under arrest. We are under orders to take you to our esteemed leader – he will judge your fate."

Zuko and Katara allowed themselves to be taken into custody. They were marched through the town to a palace in the center. This palace was nowhere near as big as the one in Ba Sing Se, but it was still pretty impressive. They were lead through a large foyer and into a throne room.

Sitting on several cushions was Chin VIII. Zuko was surprised. He was expecting a great warrior-king, but instead, Chin appeared smaller than he pictured. In fact, he doubted that Chin would have even reached his hip.

The warlord was currently being coddled and fed by several gorgeous young belly dancers in scantily clad clothing. Chin was twirling his beard in excitement at the attention he was receiving. The militiaman, meanwhile, cleared his throat and Chin looked up.

"Ah, prisoners. This should prove to quite … _entertaining_." He clapped his hands twice and the belly dancers bowed before backing their way out.

Chin rested his head upon his hands, observing his captives as if they were the most interesting pair in the world. "It's been a while since we've captured any prisoners. Most people don't like coming here to my town."

"Well who can blame them," Zuko spat, before Katara elbowed him in the ribs.

"Ooh, feisty." Chin chuckled. "The boy seems tough. He seems entertainment enough. But the girl … hmm, let's see."

Chin slid off his cushions and walked up to Katara. Zuko was right – the tyrant barely reached his hips. Chin was walking around Katara, and the Waterbender felt nauseated at the idea of this man observing her body.

"I've never seen quite a beautiful specimen like this. I've been looking for a new girl – and this Waterbender should fill in nicely."

Katara's cheeks blushed, while Zuko felt a surge of anger. "Stop ogling her, she's not a piece of meat!"

Chin laughed harder. "Oh, I was right. This one _is _feisty. He'll be plenty of entertainment indeed."

"There'll be no entertainment," Zuko snapped. "We've come for your Bu Shong lily!"

The tyrant's eyes glazed over. "Ah … my most prized possession." He walked over to a small three-legged table and removed a metallic covering. There, in a vase, was a beautiful lily. "One of the rarest plants in the world." He turned back to his captives with glee. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm a collector of rare things. Flowers, clothes … women. I only look for the rarest and most beautiful of objects. And the only thing rivaling my lily in beauty is this delightful Waterbender here." He moved away from the flower, towards Katara, his eyes gleaming with wild anticipation.

Zuko looked at Katara and gave her a knowing look. "NOW!"

Katara froze the bindings that the militiamen had placed on her wrists and banged them hard on a metallic surface. Now that her hands were free, she sliced Zuko's bindings off with Waterbending. The tag-team joined forces, combining attacks of water and fire, driving the militiamen away.

Chin grabbed the lily from the table and backed up onto a tile on the floor. The tile began to lower – it was a hidden elevator. Chin waved wickedly at the duo as he and the lily disappeared underground.

Katara and Zuko were so distracted with watching Chin, that they didn't see the militiaman come up behind them and club them unconscious.

…

Katara and Zuko awoke to find themselves in an enormous underground arena. They were surrounded with cheering and applauding patrons, and at the very top, in all his pomp and splendor, was Chin. He was surrounded by his belly dancers again.

Chin cleared his throat and then began what seemed like a very well-rehearsed announcement to the audience.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to the gambling extravaganza of a lifetime. No one else can offer you the gambling pleasures that I can. Today's game is a game of survival. Our two, brave contestants here will face a creature straight out of their worst nightmares. Will they survive? Or will they end up as dinner meat? Place your bet folks!"

Zuko clenched his fists as he watched. Several rich looking men joined Chin in the top box. There was also a mysterious man in a hood and cloak.

He didn't have to mull it over as Katara began tugging at his sleeve. A gate opened and a vicious monster stomped out. It was large, with gleaming fangs and strands of saliva. Thick white fur covered its sleek body.

Zuko gulped.

With a snarl, the creature attacked, and a roar went up from the audience.

Zuko had mixed feelings about fighting this animal – whatever it was. Sure it might be vicious and bloodthirsty, but it was still being forced to fight against its will. The creature lunged at Katara, who leaped out of the way. She ducked, its razor claws nearly scalping her. However, in the confusion, she had dropped her satchel. With her weapon out of reach, the creature backed her into a corner of the arena.

Thinking fast, Zuko threw a rock at it to distract it. "Hey, big and ugly!" He waved his arms excitedly.

The monster blinked stupidly, and then made for Zuko.

Katara grabbed her satchel and then spewed water at its feet, freezing it in place. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Until the monster, using sheer brute strength, tore its legs out of the icy casings. It looked from Katara and Zuko, trying to decide where to go. Figuring that Katara was the bigger threat, it made a move for her.

Acting on instinct, Zuko leaped onto creatures back, pulling out tufts of fur. The monster snarled in pain and began swatting at its back with its large, mallet-like paws. One paw found its mark, striking Zuko in the head. Feeling as though he were hit with a sledgehammer, Zuko let go of the beast. His vision swam as he staggered about in a daze.

The creature was moving towards Katara. Before she could react, the creature had scooped her up in his arms.

Up above, the hooded figure suddenly stood up and grabbed Chin by the scruff of his neck with one hand. With the other, the figure threw back his hood, took in a deep breath and began screaming at the monster in the arena below.

"THAT'S ENOUGH FUN-TIME, FLOPSY!"

A look of bewilderment ran across the faces of Zuko, Katara, Chin (who was struggling in the man's grip), as well as the faces of everybody else in the arena.

The creature suddenly gave Katara a slobbery lick on the face. Half-disgusted, but half-relieved, she giggled. "It's good to see you too, Flopsy," she said, burying herself in the creature's soft fur.

The hooded man leaped from the top box, still clutching a struggling Chin. Katara, who was still moist from Flopsy's kiss, gave a respectful bow to the hooded man. "And it's good to see you too, King Bumi."

Bumi laughed loudly, snorting through his nose.

Zuko, meanwhile, was not laughing. "Okay, can someone please explain to me what's going on?"

Bumi held up the struggling Chin. "Quite simple, really. It begins with our little friend here. You see, he likes to gamble, and he likes to force people to fight for their lives. So he combined both into one event. As often as he can he makes people fight for their lives. You were supposed to fight the most vicious monster he could find, and people would bet on whether you would live or not. But he didn't count on Ol' Bumi to show up."

Chin was wriggling around uselessly. "Geroff me! Gerroff me!'

Bumi continued. "So, I pretended to be a wealthy foreigner with a 'vicious predator' at my disposal. Good ol' Chin took the bait, thinking my baby Flopsy-wopsy was a bloodthirsty killer. Meanwhile, I bet my life savings that you would survive – and you did. I made out like a bandit."

Zuko couldn't help but laugh. "So you conned him."

Katara, on the other hand, frowned. She wagged her finger in his face. "That's not right, Bumi. You shouldn't be gambling and you shouldn't be conning people."

"Oh, come off it. I conned a scumbag anyway," (here he gave Chin a quick shake). "Besides, if I hadn't done it, he would have found some other vicious animal and somebody could have seriously gotten hurt. I did everyone a favor. Now, we can also hold him accountable for his crimes against this town. Everyone wins."

"Everyone except me," grumbled Chin.

Bumi turned his wide eyes to Zuko. "So I understand you were looking for some exotic flower?"

…

Mai was nearly dozing off in her chair when the bedroom door was flung wide open and Zuko rushed inside. He held a cup of lukewarm tea. Katara helped him lift Iroh's head, and Zuko poured the tea down his uncle's throat.

They waited.

Iroh's breath seemed to become less strained.

The cabbage merchant was watching the whole affair from the doorway. "There ya' go." He beckoned for them to follow. "Your uncle's going to be alright kid. He just needs a good night's rest, and by tomorrow, he'll be as good as new!"

Mai and Katara both noticed that Zuko seemed to be more upbeat than he had all week. "Glad to hear it." He fidgeted. "If you don't mind, I'd like to interrogate our 'prisoner' before dinner."

The cabbage merchant shrugged. "Be my guest. Jeong Jeong and I have been trying all afternoon and evening and haven't gotten so much as a peep out of him. Maybe you'll do better."

Zuko nodded. "Have Aang, Sokka and Toph come back yet?"

The cabbage merchant shrugged. "I suspect they'll be out late tonight. That Avatar sure is obsessing about this job. Something seems to have him a little unhinged, but I suspect in a little while he'll be back to his normal, hyper, cabbage-ruining self." He shuddered at his memories of Aang destroying his cabbages in the past.

…

Zuko's interrogation of their prisoner had gotten him nowhere. An hour's worth of questioning had rolled by, and Fake Zuko hadn't so much as said a word. He just sat there, stony mouth, staring hard at the real Zuko.

It was quite unnerving for Zuko to be sitting there with an exact replica of himself staring back.

Finally, Fake Zuko spoke. "So I hear you and the Waterbender made a pretty good team today."

Not sure where the imposter was going with this, Zuko shrugged. "Yea, I guess."

"And you guys are close?"

"As close as any friend can be."

"And she's the Avatar's girlfriend, right?"

Zuko squinted. _What's he playing at? _"She is. But what's it to you?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing…"

Zuko couldn't help but feel disquieted by the devious look that now appeared on his replica's face.

It was at that moment that Jin decided to come downstairs. "Dinners ready. That Supreme Lotus guy cooked for us. Cabbages." She _bleched_.

Zuko stood up and stretched. "Have Aang, Toph and Sokka come back _yet_?"

"Still no sign of them. Katara reckons that Aang's taking out a lot of his repressed emotions on these Fire Nation guys." Shrugging, Jin's eyes fell on the imprisoned Fake Zuko. "Creepy, isn't it? How identical you guys are?"

"Tell me about it. But let's go, I don't think we're going to get any information from him." Zuko stood up to leave, when suddenly, Jin yelped.

Fake Zuko's hands had slid through the bars and wrapped around her. One arm was clean across her torso, pinning her to the bars. The other hand was clamped around her mouth.

"What are you playing at," Zuko screeched.

Fake Zuko grinned malevolently. "I'll give you until the count of three to let me out of this cell. If you don't, I'll fry this girl alive." His hands already began to glow with heat.

Zuko opened his mouth, but the fake cut him off. "If you call your friends down here, I'll kill her on the spot. One."

Zuko stood there, unsure of what to do. He couldn't let this fraud go – but he couldn't risk Jin's life. And if he called for his friends upstairs, he was pretty sure that Fake Zuko would make good on his threat to kill her.

"Two."

What to do, what to do.

"Three."

Fake Zuko's hands glowed more intensely and Jin's eyes lit up with sheer terror.

"Wait!" Zuko rushed forward, grabbed the key from a nearby hook and opened the cell door. Not releasing his grip on Jin, Fake Zuko took his first steps into freedom.

"Now let her go," Zuko commanded.

Fake Zuko laughed. "Oh, and lose my bargaining chip? I let her go, then you attack. No, no, I'm not giving up my hostage. Here's what's going to happen. I've studied the schematics of this entire city. I know there are secret tunnels all over the place. There's one connected to this cellar." He pointed his head at the wall. "A few well placed kicks to that wall will cause it collapse into that tunnel and I'm home free."

Zuko could feel the rage growing. The angrier Zuko became, the more thrilled Fake Zuko seemed to grow.

"If you want this girl back unharmed, you let me go. You don't leave this basement until I've been gone for five minutes. Tell no one where you've gone. If you do she dies. Meet me underneath Lake Laogai in a half hour. If you fail to come within the time limit, she dies. You will come alone and tell no one where you've gone. If you fail to comply, she dies. Am I clear?"

"Crystal," Zuko replied, grinding his teeth. "Perfect." Fake Zuko backed up against the wall, aimed a well placed kick and it fell sideways into an open tunnel. "In a half hour," he repeated.

And he was gone.

…...

Zuko followed his replica's instructions to the letter. He told no one where he was going – only informing them that he was skipping dinner and going for a walk. Everyone assumed he needed some fresh air to process what happened to his uncle that day.

He used the underground tunnel system until he was deep in the underground base beneath Lake Laogai.

And there, as promised, was Fake Zuko. Jin was lying unconscious at his feet.

"You said you wouldn't harm her," raged Zuko.

"I said I wouldn't _kill _her." He rolled the unconscious girl over to Zuko with his feet.

Once he was sure that Jin was safe, the Fire Lord then prepared to attack the fake. The fake merely wagged his finger. "I knew you would attack me the moment I released the girl. Surely you didn't think I wouldn't prepare accordingly?"

A Dai Li agent suddenly injected something into Zuko's neck. His vision swam, he heard Fake Zuko's laughing inside his head, and then everything faded to black.

…...

When Zuko awoke, he was strapped to a chair and surrounded by Dai Li. Ying and Fake Zuko appeared. At the sight of Ying, Zuko thrashed against his bindings.

"Now, now, Fire Lord. That chair is a very special chair. One fit for a ruler like yourself."

"What are doing?"

Ying walked around the imprisoned Zuko. "Long Feng and the Dai Li used to use this special chair to hypnotize and brainwash people."

Comprehension began to dawn in the Fire Lord's brain.

Ying leaned into his ear and whispered softly. _"We'll make you forget who you are. You'll be reduced to a mere simpleton_. _No memories, no past – nothing."_ He laughed and indicated Fake Zuko. "Our friend here, as you may have noticed, is your spitting image. And a mighty fine actor, too. He'll return with that Jin girl, pretending to be you, pretending that he saved her life. She's unconscious, so she won't know what really happened down here. He'll be the perfect weapon to infiltrate your friends; convince them he's you; learn of their plans, their motives, their schemes, everything."

Fake Zuko's grin broadened. "I've already gleaned a great deal of information. All of the sick little love triangles between you all. Your love for your girlfriend Mai is great – and I must admit, she is quite a looker too. I wonder how her lips taste."

Zuko thrashed against his bindings. "DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!"

"Ooh, touched a nerve, didn't he," Ying taunted.

"Mai is beautiful," continued Fake Zuko thoughtfully. "But so is Katara. Don't look at me like that – it's like I said. I know about all the little love triangles going on."

"I don't love Katara like that!"

"Perhaps not. But the Avatar doesn't know how you feel, now does he?"

Ying grinned. "It's quite simple, Zuko. All my friend here has to do is seduce Katara (and you'll find he's quite adept at seduction) and the Avatar will be heartbroken. Destroy the Avatar's relationship, and we destroy the Avatar. In such a pathetic state, he'll be no match for Princess Azula, won't he?"

Ying and Fake Zuko left, both laughing as a Dai Li agent sent a large glowing lantern rotating around Zuko's head.

…

The war room in the Fire Nation was abuzz. Phoenix King Ozai sat on his throne, his fingers steepled as he listened to his advisors.

"The Avatar is ruining everything! Our plans to infiltrate Ba Sing Se are in jeopardy!"

Another advisor spoke up. "We don't know what to do. If we make any overt moves against the Avatar, we'll blow our cover! But at the same time we're losing weapons, men and money!"

The flames around Ozai's throne intensified. The Phoenix King finally spoke. "Azula's training has progressed far more quickly than I ever thought. She is ambitious, cunning, and powerful."

"What are you suggesting, my lord?"

"I have been keeping in contact with Avatar Ko-Rei these past few days. He and I are quite in agreement that working in secret is no longer efficient. I say, to heck with the plan. Let's just send a fleet of airships led by Azula and blast Ba Sing Se back to the Stone Age."

"B-but … is the Princess ready?"

The flames roared ever more loudly. "She is more than ready. Though she has yet to master the Dark Avatar State, her focus and determination more than make up for that. General Ying and I have cooked up a little plan to ruin the Avatar's psyche. When he faces Azula, he will do it when he is emotionally weakened – and at a disadvantage."

The counselors and advisors all agreed upon this new plan.

Azula, who had been sitting silently beside her father, rose up, preparing herself to unleash her new skills upon the earth. She exited the war room with a confident smirk on her face, imagining the glory of defeating the Avatar – and she ran smack dab into someone.

"Watch where you're going, filth," she snarled. Then she looked down at the person she had bumped.

It was that little girl who was prisoner on her airship for a while. She held a rubber ball in her hands and was smiling pleasantly up at the Princess.

"What do you want," Azula scowled.

"To play ball – even if you are a big meanie!"

"I'm Princess of the Fire Nation – why would I want to play ball with some ratty child?"

"I'm not ratty." The girl held out her hand politely. "My name's Malu, what's yours?"

Before Azula could respond, the little girl vanished into thin air.

…


	17. Chapter 17: The Battle of Ba Sing Se

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

…

Book 4:

Air

Chapter seventeen: The Battle of Ba Sing Se

…

"Zuko! What happened? Where were you?" Katara rushed up to the boy as he carried the unconscious Jin through the door of the White Lotus hideout.

"Long story," he muttered as he placed Jin on a couch. Katara had apparently been up all night waiting for him to return. Mai was carefully concealing the worry that had been written all over her face.

"Aang, Sokka and Toph have been out all night looking for you," Mai informed him.

"It's been a long day," he answered, rubbing his eyes furiously. "The replica escaped and kidnapped Jin. I managed to track him down and save her."

"Well, you really should've called for backup," Katara reprimanded him.

"I'm sorry. But it's not like he gave me much of a choice..."

"Well, as long as you're okay."

At that moment, the trio of Aang, Sokka and Toph burst inside. "Bad news, Sugar Queen and Glum Girl. No trace of him all night." Toph stretched out her arms. "Oh well, what do we have to eat?"

"No worries, Toph," Aang pointed out, relief spreading over his face. "He's here."

"Sparkey?" The girl suddenly became indignant. "You have a lot of nerve cruising around all night with Jin, you know that? And with your girlfriend – up all night worrying!"

"I wasn't worried," Mai stated, surveying her fingernails.

"I'm sorry," was all Zuko could say.

"Yea, well, you better be." She stood there, hands on her hips, head tilted. "You feeling alright, Sparkey? There's something that feels … a little _off_ about you."

"I'm fine, Toph. Really. I just had a very rough night is all."

Toph shrugged. "Okay, whatever you say. C'mon Sokka, let's get the Cabbage Dude to cook us up some grub."

"Aaaw, I want meat for once, not his vile vegetables."

"Cabbages are good for you Sokka," Aang pointed out.

"All the more reason for me to avoid them!" As the trio filed out of the room, a dark smile crossed Fake Zuko's face.

_The fools bought it!_

…

Over the course of the next few days, everyone was rather busy. Aang, Toph, and Sokka continued with their daily beating-up of Fire Nation troops. Katara sometimes joined them, but other times felt like staying in. Iroh was recovering from his run-in with poisoned tea, and was up and about. He was a little more careful about his tea now – he would not drink any unless he, personally, prepared it.

King Bumi had made himself right at home at the White Lotus hideout. He and Aang spent a lot of time together, reminiscing about the "good old days." Jeong Jeong was still lurking around, although this time he was breathing down Iggy's neck almost all day. The pimply teenager was far more of a nervous wreck than he usually was. Aang was curious as to how someone like him could have been inducted into the Order of the White Lotus.

The Cabbage Merchant showed off his skills as a rather fine cook. The only problem was, the only thing he seemed to cook was cabbages. Aang was perfectly fine with that, but it was a huge source of stress for Sokka.

"Couldn't you just add some fried boar-que-pine into the mix?"

The Cabbage Merchant was aghast. "And ruin my delicious cabbages? No way, no how will my cabbages be tainted by any other food groups! Only cabbages! And mister, if you don't like it, you can go on out and get your own food!"

Sokka hastily complied, coming back with bags of greasy fast food. Mai watched with disgust as he ravenously tore into a boar-que-pine cheesesteak right in front of her, flecks of meat and grease staining her clothes.

With Aang, Sokka, and Toph gone all day rooting out Firebenders, Katara was finding herself to be very bored. Sure, watching the competition between Jin and Mai was always amusing, and the Cabbage Merchant flouncing around the house with his cabbages was good for a laugh. But those things began to bore her and she quickly found that she had very little to talk about with Mai and Jin. Mai was never much of a conversationalist, and all Jin was interested in was new ways to get Zuko's attention.

So that was who Katara would turn to in order to stave off boredom.

Zuko.

Little did she know that the "Zuko" she was talking to was really an imposter.

So Katara found herself one rainy afternoon with nothing to do. She didn't particularly feel like joining Aang, Toph and Sokka on their daily excursions; Mai and Jin were downstairs arguing, so she decided to see what Zuko was up to. She found "him" sitting on his windowsill, staring at the rain as it splattered the windows.

"Hey," she said. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Her voice roused Fake Zuko out of his ruminations and he regarded her with a wry smile. "What's up, Katara? Why aren't you out playing the hero with Aang?"

"I didn't feel up to it. When Aang goes out to fight off the Fire Nation, he gets all serious and rigid nowadays. Not always the most pleasant thing to be around."

Fake Zuko replied with a knowing grunt. "Yea, Aang can be a real pain sometimes, can't he?"

Katara chuckled. "Not always. Before this whole Dark Avatar Azula business, Aang was a real sweetheart. He still is … it's just … well, I realize he's under a lot of stress right now, and anybody would be…" Her voice trailed off.

"No, don't go silent," Fake Zuko said, sitting down the bed, motioning for her to join him. "You can confide in me. Anything you say won't leave this room, I promise."

Katara shrugged as she sat next to him. She wrung her hands in her lap. "It's like what I told you at Wei-Zhen's Falls. I feel like Aang's drifting away from me – like he's slowly fading away. Turning into something … well, something I don't want him to be."

Fake Zuko nodded with feigned sympathy. "So you feel like you're losing him?"

"I hope not. I don't think I could bear it."

"You and I are no strangers to loss, Katara. We've both lost people we care about. We both lost our mothers."

Katara choked back, trying not to show any tears. "That's true. Our entire gang has been through a lot."

Fake Zuko leaned back on the bed. "True. But, none of them have as much in common as you and I. You'd think we'd be polar opposites what with you being a Waterbender and me being a Firebender." He sat up, leaning closer, eyeing her curiously.

Katara looked deep into his golden eyes. There was something so … _hypnotizing _about them. Strange. Zuko never had this effect on her before. There was never anything this mesmerizing. She could feel her mind drifting, she was on cloud nine, her pulse quickened (especially now that he had laid his hand atop hers), her cheeks were flushed.

Then Aang's beaming face poked into her momentarily fuzzy memory. She stood up quickly. "Well, it's been great chatting, gotta go," she said rather quickly and then scooted out of the room.

Fake Zuko leaned back, grinning. He had already fixed the screw into Katara's heart. Now all he would have to do was give it a gentle twist.

…

Outside of his bedroom stood Jin, her fists clenched in fury.

Jin had recently taken to creeping outside Zuko's bedroom, mostly in hopes of catching him undressing. But she had witnessed this whole scene between him and Katara. She hid in the shadows as Katara rushed out of the room, and Jin couldn't help but see the red in her cheeks.

So, Jin had competition from Mai _and _Katara now.

_I'll put a stop to this,_ she thought to herself. _I'll tell Aang, and he'll just win Katara back. Simple as that._

…

"Wait – _what_?"

Aang's grey eyes were bulging at the information that Jin was presenting to him. Jin and Aang had become closer friends since their stay at Wei-Zhen's Falls. Aang was now trying to process what she was telling him.

"I heard it with my own ears," Jin replied. "Katara told Zuko again that she feels like you and she are drifting apart."

"I _knew_ it!" Aang's hands were under his eyes lids and he was shaking his head furiously.

"Don't worry, Aang. You just have to show Katara that you deeply care for her and that you're willing to place a much bigger priority on your relationship from now on. Do something grand! Do something to make her feel wanted. Show her that you're firmly devoted to her."

Aang seemed to calm down a little bit and he was rubbing his chin. "Hmm, you have a good point, Jin." He punched his fist into his palm. "Then that's what I'll do. Something grand, huh? Show my devotion to her. I think I might just have something in mind!"

Jin beamed. "That's the spirit!"

Aang began pacing. "I'll ask her out for a romantic evening. Just me and her. And then … and then … oh, I'll show her I'm committed alright. Thanks, Jin. You may have just saved our relationship!"

Jin's smile widened. "Anytime, buddy. Now go and get her, tiger!"

Aang ran off, and Jin rubbed her hands together greedily. _Now if only I could find a way to get rid of Mai._

…

Katara was sitting in the living room, reading by candlelight, when Aang came bursting into the room, cheerier than she had ever seen him before.

"You look happy."

"I have a present for you!"

Katara gently placed her book on a table. "Ooh, how exciting!"

The next thing she knew, Aang had stuck a bouquet of flowers right in her face. "A bouquet of Dragon-kitty daisies!"

The next thing Aang knew, Katara's eyes began watering; she started sniffling and sneezing all over the place. "Get those away from me, I'm highly allergic!"

Panicking, Aang chucked the bouquet out the window. It struck a random guy in the head.

The monk felt so embarrassed. Here he was, trying to make Katara feel special, and he already blew it up. However, all was not lost.

"That's okay," he said. "I never liked flowers anyway. But that's not all. Katara, I know I've been neglecting you recently, _sooo_ … I was thinking that maybe you and I should go out tonight. Just have a special night – just you and me."

Katara's eyes shone with happiness. "Oh, Aang, I've been waiting for you to do something like this! What did you have in mind?"

"Well for starters -."

It was at that moment that Fake Zuko entered the room. "Oh, you guys are going out tonight. Cool! Let's make it a double-date! You two with me and Mai! Let me go tell her!" And he ran out of the room before either one could say no.

"You don't mind, do you," Katara asked.

"No," Aang answered, somewhat bitterly.

"Don't look like that – it'll be fun."

"I wanted it to be just the two of us."

"I know, but … it'll be just as romantic with Zuko and Mai along."

_"Yea, because Mai is known for being the 'Queen of Romance.'"_

…

The foursome sat around a candlelit table at the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se. Fake Zuko was practically monopolizing the whole conversation. Katara was holding onto his every word while a bored Mai filed her nails and Aang played with his vegetables.

"And so the bounty hunter walks in and sees Uncle in the wig and dress and says, 'hey you! Those are lady clothes!' And Uncle responds, 'I know! They accentuate my girlish traits.' Then he blasts him with fire!"

Katara and Zuko burst out laughing in hysterics while Mai rolled her eyes. Aang was becoming desperate to try to get Katara's attention. "Oh yeah, well I have a joke! Why did the ostrich-horse cross the road?" His eyes glowed with wild excitement as he prepared to give the punch-line. "To get to his friends on the other side!"

Silence.

_"You try too hard," _the waiter whispered in Aang's ear as he walked past. Aang buried his head on the table as Katara and Fake Zuko resumed talking and joking.

"Can we go yet," a bored Mai groaned.

"But our food hasn't come yet," Katara answered.

"All the more reason to go right now," Mai replied. She folded her arms, scoffing. "This is going to be a long night."

The food finally came ("there is an Agni" commented Mai) and they dug in. "Oh dear," Katara muttered as she tasted her soup. "It's cold."

"Send it back," Mai said.

"You can't send back food in a restaurant," Katara replied. She lowered her voice. _"They might … you know – spit in it."_

Mai shrugged. "Would probably make it taste better."

Everyone paused to look at her before letting out a collective _"aaw, gross!"_

"Here, I can heat it up with Firebending," Fake Zuko suggested. He moved for Katara's bowl.

"No, allow me," a desperate Aang said with a little too much enthusiasm. He blew a little bit of fire into the bowl.

Not willing to let Aang outdo him, Fake Zuko glowered, and waved his hand beneath the table, manipulating Aang's fire to cause the whole table to erupt into flames.

"Nice going, Aang," Katara scathed. The waiter jumped from one foot to another, having a panic attack. "Oh calm down," Katara muttered, bending some water over the table and dousing the flames.

They hastily paid the bill and left. "We'll never be allowed back in that restaurant again," Mai said. Everyone noticed that she seemed almost happy as she said this. They walked out into the moonlight streets.

Fake Zuko seemed to have way too much energy. "So what does everyone want to do now?"

"I want to go home," Mai grumbled.

"If you don't mind, Zuko," Aang said. "I'd like to maybe spend the rest of the night with Katara. Alone."

"You heard the man," Mai said. "Let's go."

Fake Zuko didn't move. He tried to quickly think up an excuse to prevent Katara and Aang from being alone together.

Mai, however, had finally lost her patience. She grabbed Fake Zuko by the ear and began leading him away. "Enough. Can't you see those two lovebirds want to be alone? Besides, I'm tired and want to go home." Fake Zuko whimpered as Mai's sharp fingernails dug into his earlobe.

"Night, Zuko" Katara waved cheerfully at him.

Aang couldn't help but feel relieved now that he finally was alone with his girlfriend and could spend the rest of the night with her.

Just her.

He was quite eager to make up for his blunders earlier in the date. He was sure that his next gift would win her over perfectly.

"Katara, now that we're alone … there's someplace really romantic I want to take you."

He blew into his bison whistle, and Appa appeared. The sky bison was decked out in colorful doilies and flowers (Sokka and Jin had helped decorate him, much to Appa's annoyance).

"Appa, you look so beautiful," Katara commented. Appa let out an irritated grunt.

Aang, acting the gentleman, offered Katara his hand. "Your chariot, madam," he said in a gentlemanly way.

Katara went along with the act. "Thank you, my fine sir."

…

Appa took the couple all the way to the Outer Ring of Ba Sing Se. They sat atop the wall, their feet dangling hundreds of feet in the air. The moon shone in the sky, and they had a bird's eye view of the Earth Kingdom. Little dots of light from far away towns and villages shone along the landscape.

"This is the kind of date I've been looking for," Katara said, resting her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. "Even if there were a couple hitches along the way." Aang grinned softly to himself as he wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her in closer.

"Ba Sing Se's changed so much since I've been here last," Aang said, as he looked around the now silent city.

"We've changed as well. You've grown up a lot, Aang. Even though you'll still always be that goofy grinning kid at heart."

"Nothing wrong with that," Aang replied.

Katara smiled warmly. "No. Nothing at all."

They were silent for a few moments, before Aang spoke up again. "Katara, I know I haven't been the best boyfriend recently. But I want you to know … I care for you more than anything else in this world. I want us to be together."

"I know, Aang. I do, too."

Aang took a deep breath, and then said the three words that are so painful for so many to say.

"I love you."

Katara withdrew her head from his shoulder. "I do too, Aang." They leaned in and their lips met.

After they finished kissing (Aang kept prolonging it), the Airbender reached into his orange shirt and withdrew a small object.

"I knew from the day we met that we would be together, Katara. I don't know how I knew … I just knew. I have something here that will show you just how committed I am to you."

He dangled something from his hand.

Katara pointed a shaking hand at the object. "Is that … is that what I think it is?"

Aang nodded, beaming proudly. "Uh-huh. A betrothal necklace."

Katara stuttered, but Aang placed his finger on her lips.

"Will you marry me, Katara?"

There was a moment's silence during which Katara lost her voice. She finally found it, but when she did she said, "Aang, no offense – but are you out of your mind?"

Aang quickly drew back as though he had been burned. "W-what?"

"Aang, you know I love you. But marriage?"

The Avatar felt as though he were drowning. "But … I thought … We … We love each other!"

"Yes, Aang. We do love each other. But look around at what's happening. We may be on the verge of war all over again and we have a stronger-than-ever-Azula to deal with!"

Aang found himself regaining a little confidence. "All the more reason for us to get married. Who knows what may happen? The sooner the better! Who knows if either of us will still be here in a week's time?"

"Aang, don't say things like that," she scolded. "It's not just the whole Azula situation. We're just too young. You're thirteen and I'm fourteen!"

"But you just said you're committed to me – and I'm sure as heck committed to you. What difference does it make how old we are?"

"Do you really think you're old enough to have that responsibility?"

"I'm old enough to save the world, aren't I?"

"But marriage is more than that! Do you really think you can handle parenthood?"

"Oh, I can handle big, bad Fire Lord Ozai, but not a small child?"

"Look, Aang, we're just too young! My father would never allow it and Sokka would probably burst a blood vessel."

"So you're saying no?"

"That's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is not right now. Maybe if you ask me … a couple years from now …"

"I don't understand! What difference will a few years make?"

"For starters, we'll be a little more mature."

"So now I'm immature?"

"That's not what I said, but come to think of it, an immature person _would_ put words into another person's mouth!"

"I don't get it! One minute, you feel like I'm drifting away from you. Then, when I show you that I _am_ committed to you, you don't like it!"

"I didn't say I didn't like it! I'm just saying it's too much, too soon! And if you're can't handle it like a man, maybe we should just take a break from each other!"

Those words stung Aang, but he was far too angry to stop now. "Fine by me!"

Katara had said those words in anger, but she didn't really expect Aang to go along with it. She expected him to calm down and apologize. But her own anger and pride got in the way as well, so she walked over to Appa, who was lounging around atop the wall and mounted him.

"You have your glider, so you can just fly back home," she said, before taking the bison's reigns.

Aang watched as she flew away into the night.

He thought about everything she had said, and he realized she was right. What was he thinking, proposing marriage? And she had said that she was committed to him … and that she would probably say yes in a few years time. Why had he overreacted?

He buried his face in his hands in exasperation.

_"I am such an idiot."_

…

A small fleet of six airships glided through the night sky. Aboard the lead one, Princess Azula sat in front of a mirror, gently combing her hair.

Without warning, the reflection in the mirror transformed into her mother. _"Azula … you always had such beautiful hair."_

"Oh come off it, Mother. Flattery will get you nowhere with me. What I'm curious about is why you keep showing your face."

_"Because I genuinely care about you, Azula. Because I'm heartbroken over what your father has done to you. Because I'm fearful of what you might become."_

"What I might become? Only the greatest bender the universe has ever seen, Mother."

_"Your father has done this to you. He's ruined your life."_

"Ruined? How so? By making me Fire Lord? By making me his right hand as he rules the world?"

_"By making you his puppet. By brainwashing you as a child and destroying your childhood."_

"You know, you really do sound a lot like the Avatar."

_"Your childhood is gone Azula. Your innocence has been destroyed through bloodshed."_

"Oh Mother. Just like the Avatar, you also sound like a broken record."

A knock on the door to her chamber resonated throughout the room and Ursa vanished into thin air. "Enter," Azula called out.

An officer appeared in the doorway. "Your Highness, I just wished to inform you that we will be arriving at Ba Sing Se tomorrow morning."

"Very good, Captain. I'd like to check on our navigators before I retire for the night." She got up, putting her hair back into her bun and followed the captain out the door.

As she left her bedroom, she could have sworn she heard a child giggling and caught sight of a little girl chasing a ball past her mirror. She shook her head, rubbing her eyes.

"I have _got _to stop eating fire flakes this late at night!"

…

Sokka and Toph were sitting at a table in the base. Toph had challenged Sokka to an arm-wrestling match, and Sokka, eager to show her "how a man does it", promptly accepted.

Right now, Sokka's eyes were bulging, his face was turning purple and his teeth were gritted as Toph easily drove him closer and closer to defeat. With a cheer of rage, she slammed his hand down onto the table and did a victory dance.

"Oh yeah, who's number one?"

Sokka rubbed his throbbing hand. "Don't get overconfident Toph. I'll have you know I wasn't in my usual arm-wrestling form tonight."

"Yea, whatever you say, Snoozles."

The door opened, and a forlorn looking Aang entered the base, his head bowed and his staff dragging along behind him.

Sokka was all over him.

"So how was your date, Aang? Huh? How'd it go? Did you kiss my sister at all? I swear, if you touch – _ow!_"

Toph had slapped him across the back of the head. _"Not now,"_ she hissed.

Aang apparently hadn't heard Sokka as he continued walking past, shuffling his feet. He went upstairs into a bedroom and closed the door behind him without saying a word.

"What's his problem," Sokka asked.

…

_Knock! Knock!_

"Go away," Aang said mournfully. He lay facedown on his bed, trying to sort out what went wrong tonight.

The door pushed itself open.

"I said go aw – Zuko?"

Fake Zuko leaned casually against the door. "Tough night, huh?"

Aang looked away. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Come on. It can't be that bad." Fake Zuko sat down next to him on the bed. There were a few terse moments of silence. "You know, Katara and I are good friends, Aang."

Aang looked up at him. "So?"

"_So_oo … Katara tells me nearly everything. She has been saying that she feels as though you and her aren't right for each other."

"No. Katara doesn't … Katara loves me. It's just that -."

Fake Zuko interrupted him. "It's just that I think that there's someone else…"

"What?" Aang's heart pounded in his chest. _No. There couldn't be. She would never…_

"I can't be sure, but she has been hinting. I think Katara might be in love with someone else. Sorry to be the one to break it to you." He gently patted Aang on the shoulder. "But hey, what do I know? I'm sure everything will work out just fine."

He got up and left. Aang's face was buried in his pillow and he never saw the devious smirk growing on the face of the man he thought was his friend.

…

The sun rose, casting its bright yellow light across the Earth Kingdom. There was no harbinger of the coming perils that the day would bring.

Almost everyone met downstairs for breakfast as usual. Iroh refused anyone else's tea, making a brew exclusively for himself. "Can't be too careful," he was saying.

Neither Aang nor Katara had come down for breakfast that morning. Jin, trying to be helpful as she was, brought food up to both of them.

Aang sat alone on his bed, eating his noodles, going over in his head everything "Zuko" had told him. He couldn't believe that there was someone else in Katara's life. "Zuko" was probably just confused. Yea, that was it. After slurping down the remainder of his noodles, he decided that he was going to patch things up with Katara. First chance he got, he was going to march over to her bedroom and apologize, and all would be right with the world.

Feeling much better, he set his empty bowl aside, stood up and stretched.

Today was going to be a much better day.

…

As everyone else sat down to breakfast, the door to the hideout was suddenly kicked open, startling everyone at the table. Sokka let out a girlish scream and spilled his boiling soup all down his front.

Jeong Jeong stood in the doorway, his eyes wide and manic looking. "What is going on," Iroh asked.

"Attack! The Fire Nation is here – much sooner than we expected. At least half a dozen airships!"

Aang and Katara both ran downstairs at the noise. "What's going on," inquired the Waterbender.

Jeong Jeong motioned for them to follow him. They went outside and Jeong Jeong pointed into the sky. Six Fire Nation airships hovered up above, blasting parts of the city with fire.

"I thought the attack was supposed to come from underground," Sokka said.

"Looks like they've changed their mind," Toph replied.

Aang stood firm. "Azula's with them," he said. "I can feel her."

"Well what are we doing wasting our time standing around," Toph said. "Let's go clobber her!"

Everyone filed back inside to get ready for the coming battle. Sokka immediately went upstairs to the room he shared with Zuko and began applying war paint to his face. He sheathed an older sword that Iroh had given to him for use, as well as slinging his boomerang behind his back.

Toph sat in a corner counting off her fingers how many Firebenders she was going to beat up.

Aang, meanwhile, was preparing himself for his confrontation with Azula. There was a strong possibility that he was not going to make it out of this alive. Well, now was as good a time as ever for him to patch things up with Katara. So, he headed straight for her room.

…

Katara was busying herself with filling her satchels with water when there was a knock on the door. "Come in!"

The door opened, and to her surprise, Fake Zuko was standing in the doorway. "Hey Katara. I just wanted to say good luck."

She smiled warmly. "You too, Zuko."

"You know, we may not see each other ever again…"

"Don't say things like that, Zuko. We'll make it through this. We always do."

"I know. But in case we don't … I want you to know how special you are to me."

Katara beamed again. "Thanks, Zuko. You know you're one of my best friends."

Fake Zuko drew closer to her. _"Or possibly … more than friends…"_

"What are you talking about?" She was alarmed at how close Fake Zuko was drawing to her.

"Don't try to fight it, Katara. You know you have feelings for me."

"Zuko, stop this! You're talking foolishness. Whatever feelings I have for you – I-I love _Aang_, okay!"

"Ah, so you do have feelings for me?"

Her cheeks were flushing in embarrassment. "No … that's _not_ what I said."

"But it's what you _feel_." He moved closer, placing his hands along her arms. She found that she couldn't shrug them off. "Come on, Katara. We could keep this all a little secret. Doesn't that sound exciting? Our own, dirty little secret. Aang doesn't have to know."

Katara looked up into his eyes. His deep, gold, mesmerizing eyes. For a moment, she felt something stirring in her chest. Almost as if … she _wanted_ to kiss him. But then his suggestion rang in her mind.

_"Aang doesn't have to know."_

And that suggestion alone brought her back to a sense of reality. No, she wouldn't … she couldn't hurt Aang like that.

"I'm sorry, Zuko. You have a lot of admirable qualities, but my heart belongs to Aang."

His hands tightened around her shoulders and he drew his head closer. "No, Katara. You want this. Don't fight it."

Katara struggled in his embrace. She looked up into his face and realized, "You're _not_ Zuko!"

Before she could fight him off, he forcefully kissed her.

…

Aang was preparing himself to knock on Katara's door, when he found the door hanging wide open. Shrugging, he stepped into the doorway.

What he saw would be burned into his memory forever.

Katara was kissing Zuko. In that moment, Aang felt his heart literally rip in two.

Katara pushed Zuko away and saw Aang's heartbroken face standing there. The monk gave her a look that literally dashed her emotions to pieces. Then he turned and ran.

"Aang, wait! It's not what you think!"

Too late. The damage had been done. Aang wrenched open a window and flew out on his glider.

Fake Zuko stood behind her, grinning. _Mission accomplished._

With a roar of rage, Katara blasted the false Zuko out the window with a jet of water.

…

Ba Sing Se was known for, among other things, its monorail system. A series of tracks crisscrossed the city, and the trains would zip along them, propelled by Earthbenders. The Upper Class citizens were fond of taking sightseeing tours around the city.

Today they were not so fond.

A small child pointed out the window, and the passengers saw a Fire Nation airship lumbering towards them. They could make out a ballista armament; they could see the Imperial Firebenders igniting it – and the next thing they knew, the ballista had sent a fiery projectile straight at the track in front of them.

_** KABOOM!**_

The passengers screamed in horror as the track in front of them was literally blown away. The Earthbending drivers struggled to bring to bring the train to a halt. They finally did – but not before half of the train was dangling precariously over the edge of the destroyed track – hundreds of feet in the air. The drivers were at a loss – how could they bring the train back on the tracks?

The answer came in the form of a blind girl who was standing on the tracks before them. She shifted into a mantis stance, and with a wave of her arms, she managed to gain control of the train through her Metalbending. She began pushing the metal train away from oblivion … back on the track.

Toph shrieked as another fireball flew towards her. She temporarily lost control of the train, and it began dangling over the edge once more.

Suddenly, Aang was there. Twirling his staff like a baton, he bounced the fireball back with Airbending.

But there was a problem. The airship was joined by two more flying war machines. The trio of airships began advancing on them. There was no way he and Toph would be able to save the train – not with these three airships on their backs.

Above, Appa appeared out of nowhere. Riding on his back were Katara, Sokka, Mai, Jeong Jeong, Bumi and Iroh. "We have to give Aang and Toph time to save the train," Bumi shouted.

Katara shouted at Sokka, who was piloting the sky bison. "Take us closer to the lead airship."

Sokka looked back, shocked. _"Closer?"_

"Sokka, just do it!"

With a flick of the reigns, Appa did a roundabout, bringing them closer to the lead airship. With a quick snap of water, several Imperial Firebenders were thrown off their feet, giving Katara, Iroh, Jeong Jeong and Mai time to leap from the sky bison's back onto the deck of the airship.

Bumi leaned into Sokka's ear. "Take Appa to the airship all the way in the back – I've got a plan that I think you'll be able to execute flawlessly."

Meanwhile, Katara, Iroh, Jeong Jeong and Mai began engaging dozens of Imperial Firebenders on the deck of the airship. With the lead airship busily trying to stave off these new invaders, it had no time to concentrate on Aang and Toph below.

…

Toph was using her Metalbending on the train once more, and Aang was using Airbending to supplement her. Together, they slowly began pushing the monorail train back onto the tracks.

Something dropped onto the tracks behind them. Toph was busily trying to keep the train from falling to its doom; she was too busy to see a rock heading right for her.

_CLUNK!_

It hit her square in the head. Toph's eyes rolled back into her head, and she fell face-flat on the track. She was out cold.

The train skidded quickly downward, and it was only Aang's Airbending that was preventing it from plunging below.

With a snigger, Azula began advancing on him, preparing to fry him with lightning.

And if he let go of the train for even an instant to defend himself, everyone onboard was doomed.

…...

Deep in a cell beneath Lake Laogai languished the real Zuko. Guarding his cell were four Dai Li agents.

In an instant, ropes sprang out from nowhere, grabbing one of the Dai Li around the ankles and throwing him off his feet. The other Dai Li agents moved into attack position, looking around for their attacker.

From above dropped the Blue Spirit, twin broadswords blazing a swathe through all of them. Zuko watched with interest from his cell as the Blue Spirit easily dispatched the four Dai Li. Bending down, the masked warrior removed the keys from one of their belts and undid the cell.

Zuko stepped out into freedom. The Blue Spirit beckoned him to follow.

"I must say, this is a rather weird place, don't you think," Zuko said suddenly in a flighty voice. The masked face simply stared. "And my, that is a rather interesting costume. Do you know where we are, by the way?"

Comprehension dawned on the Blue Spirit. The Dai Li must have brainwashed the boy. Now Zuko had no clue where he was … or even _who_ he was. Shrugging, the Blue Spirit decided they had no time to sort it out now. He grabbed the boy by the arm and dragged him along.

Zuko hummed to himself in a hopelessly confused voice.

…

_**ZAAP!**_

__Lightning tore from Azula's fingertips, surging straight for Aang's heart. In a moment of pure instinct, Aang redirected the lightning away. But in that moment's distraction, the train fell clean off the tracks and plummeted below.

"NOOO!" The scream tore from Aang's throat.

But wait – there was no crash. Instead, the train had landed on a solid piece of earth only a few feet below the track. This large chunk of earth had apparently come from nowhere. His eyes scanned the ground, and below he saw Iggy in an Earthbending stance. The Cabbage Merchant stood next to him proudly. "Good work, Iggy!"

Now that he was sure the train was safe, Aang turned to face Azula.

The Fire Princess had her hands on her hips, her head tilted questioningly. "I find it funny that you, the Avatar – the one with all the infinite cosmic powers of the universe at your disposal – would put your own butt on the line to save these worthless cretins."

"It's called having a conscience, Azula. It's called knowing how to do the right thing!"

"Oh please, you're not going to launch into one of those crazy good guy speeches, are you? Although that would be a good attack strategy for you. You might just _bore_ me to death."

"We don't have to fight, Azula. We can resolve this all peacefully."

Azula pretended to consider it thoughtfully. "Nah. I say this ends – WITH BLOOD!" More lightning surged from her fingertips, and it was all Aang could do to try to redirect it.

In a blinding-fast move, Azula kicked Aang's legs out from under him. Aang propelled himself off the tracks with Airbending, countering with a blaze of fire. Azula snuffed his attack out, and began using Earthbending to throw bits of the track at him. Aang surrounded himself with compressed air, causing the Princess's attacks to harmlessly bounce away.

The two paused, taking a momentary break from the fighting. "Very good, Avatar. Killing you wouldn't be at all satisfying if you didn't at least put up a good fight."

Aang, catching his breath, nodded. "I see you've improved too, Azula."

She grinned. "Oh that's not even the half of it. Wait 'till you see this!" She blasted Aang with Airbending. After recovering from his momentary shock, Aang countered with some air of his own.

"How," he asked. "How did you learn to bend air? There are no Air Nomads left – no one to teach you."

"Correction, Avatar. No one _alive_ to teach me. Perhaps you've heard of a little someone called Avatar Ko-Rei?"

"Avatar Ko-Rei? He taught you?"

"What are you, deaf?" She grinned. "He told me his whole _tragic_ life story. How the love of his life broke his heart." Her grin spread. "But I'm sure you already know a lot about that, don't you?"

These words pierced his skull. "What do you mean?"

"Why, I'm talking about your beloved Water Peasant and dear little Zuzu. Word on the street is they're an item now." She was enjoying the pained look on Aang's face. "When water and fire meet, they create steam. I bet Katara and Zuko have created lots of steam when you weren't looking!"

Aang's eye twitched. "Shut up, Azula!"

"Oh-hoh! Getting angry, I see! Good. The angrier you are, the better our duel should be!" She blasted Aang clean off the tracks with Airbending, before leaping off the tracks herself, following him.

…

Katara shot a guy clean off the airship with her water-whip attack. More soldiers piled out on deck, surrounding them. "Where are Sokka and Bumi," she called.

There was a huge explosion. Behind them, the second airship was smoking and spiraling out of control. Iroh scratched his head as he watched it. "I don't think airships are supposed to do that!"

…

"Yeah! That'll show them!" Bumi and Sokka sat in the control room of the third airship, having commandeered it. Sokka had experience piloting airships, ever since the battle during Sozin's Comet.

But now there was a new problem. Two more airships had appeared behind them and were giving chase.

"Don't you know how to maneuver this thing," Bumi squawked.

"Give me a minute, I need to figure a few things out!"

Fire flashed in the windows.

"I don't think we have a minute!"

…

Katara, Iroh, Jeong Jeong and Mai continued dueling the Imperial Firebenders aboard the first airship. So far, the four of them were an even match for a twelve person squad of troops.

But then a new person joined the fray. A jet of fire issued past Katara's head; she barely managed to duck it. Looking up, she saw the source of the attack.

Mai also saw it. "Zuko," she demanded. "What are you doing?"

"That's _not_ Zuko," Katara yelled as Fake Zuko jumped into an attack.

…

The battle between Aang and Azula had taken to the streets of Ba Sing Se. Aang was more skilled at bending all four elements than Azula, but the princess more than made up for that with her cunning and deviousness. Furthermore, Aang was desperately trying to hold back, for fear that civilians might get hurt.

Unfortunately, Azula had no such compunctions. Indeed, she attacked without discretion, blasting buildings, carts and any other objects that might get in the way.

"Foolish Avatar. I know you're not giving me everything you've got. You're scared of harming these people." She snorted. "Ironic. If you would let go of your petty beliefs about the value of life, you could probably defeat me right here."

She continued to hurl blue fireballs at him. Aang danced around gracefully, evading her attacks and responding in kind by kicking several boulders at her. Azula imploded the boulders, before unleashing a fiery discharge from her palms. Aang doused it with water from his satchel, but as he did so, he found his legs trapped in earth.

The princess clicked her tongue at him. "So easily distracted." She fired a lightning bolt.

_**ZAAP!**_

__Aang freed his legs from their rocky bindings, before using his staff to attract the lightning. He rammed the bottom of his staff into the ground, using it as a base to allow the currents of electricity to surge into the ground.

Azula was on him in an instant, driving him back with more fiery attacks. With a jump-kick to his chest, she sent the monk flying into a wall. Aang crumpled to the ground as the Dark Avatar towered over him, gloating.

"I really expected better than this from you, Avatar." Her boot connected with his skull, causing him to crumple to the ground. He staggered to his feet, blood trickling from his lip. His eyes widened as another blue fireball screamed at his head.

He rolled out of the way, only to find that the fireball had ignited the house behind him. He could hear screams of terror inside as the house started to burn. Azula stepped back, admiring her handiwork.

"See what happens you don't fight with everything you've got? Innocent people get hurt!"

Aang could feel his rage seething inside him. "You're just plain evil!"

Azula feigned contrition. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

With a fierce gust of wind, Aang sent the princess flying up into the air. When she landed, he bound her legs and arms into the ground.

He hesitated as he watched the Princess struggling. It would only take a few moments for her to break free, during which he could perform Energybending on her. But the screams from the people trapped inside the blazing building pounded throughout his skull. Making a split decision, he turned and ran for the building.

"Hold on! I'm coming for you!"

Without taking a second thought, he entered the inferno.

…

"Wait! You still haven't told me where we're going!" Zuko was struggling to keep up with the Blue Spirit as they sprinted down the streets of Ba Sing Se. The Blue Spirit pointed up overhead, and Zuko followed his fingers to see the airships in the sky. One was being pursued by two others, fire issuing from them, while the last one seemed to have a battle occurring on its deck.

Zuko was appalled. "We're not going up there, are we?"

The Blue Spirit nodded.

"But I can't _fight_! I don't even know how to bend!"

The Blue Spirit facepalmed. Before Zuko could react, the masked warrior wrapped his arm firmly around his waist, and produced a device in his hand. The device fired a grappling hook way up into the sky.

Aboard the airship, the hook caught on the railing of the deck, and in the next instant, the Blue Spirit and Zuko had zip lined a hundred feet in the air and landed on the deck. The Blue Spirit motioned for Zuko to join in the fighting, before himself joining in the melee. Zuko stood there, unsure of what to do, when a Fire Nation troop came at him.

Zuko let out a squeak, and in a moment of defensive instinct, he had knocked the soldier clean off his feet with Firebending. Zuko looked at his hands in astonishment.

"Huh. Guess I _can _bend."

…

"Where are you," Aang was screaming as he waded through the blazing house. A flaming beam collapsed from the ceiling, inches from crushing him. "Hello!"

He heard screaming from a distant corner. Squinting his eyes through the smoke, he saw an elderly woman protecting a crying child in a corner. "I'm here," she shouted. Aang moved towards them, choking on the black smoke.

_**CRASH!**_

__Another beam collapsed. This house was on the verge of caving in. If he didn't get to the woman and the child within the next minute, they were all doomed.

Wading through the flames, he reached the woman and child. The child recognized the arrow on his forehead. "It's okay grandma," she squeaked. "It's the Avatar!"

"Come on – we have to get out of here!"

No sooner had he said that, then a part of the ceiling caved in, blocking the door. The heat was growing more intense. "This way," he shouted. Using Airbending, he blew a hole in the ceiling, leading out to the roof. Grabbing the grandmother in one arm and the child in the other, he Airbended them up to the roof.

The roof itself was on the verge of collapse, and Aang noticed that the flames were beginning to reach up here as well. Holding them tightly, he prepared to leap from the roof.

He was struck across the side by a block of cement, and he staggered to his knees. The woman and the child both fell over the side of the house. Instinctively, Aang reached out with his hands, catching both of them. He struggled to pull them up.

Behind him, Azula made her way across the roof. "Here you are, playing the hero as I expected."

Aang was beginning to lose his grip on the two of them. He looked up at Azula with pleading eyes. "I know you want to fight, Azula. And I'll fight you if you want. But please – let me save these people first. Please Azula!"

"Well, because you asked so nicely – NO!"

She punched another chunk of cement at him. It struck him in the shoulders, and he lurched forward, nearly going over the edge of the roof himself. The old woman gasped, and the girl was sobbing hysterically.

"Azula, PLEASE!" Aang's desperation was growing. He couldn't hold on for too much longer."

"I'm the one making the rules here, Avatar! You have to learn the hard way that those who cannot save themselves do not deserve to be saved at all!"

Another chunk of concrete hit him – this time around his ankle, squarely at the Achilles tendon. His body shuddered as his leg gave out and twisted beneath him.

The roof was now beginning to blaze.

"Well now this is quite amusing, I must say. What a precarious predicament you find yourself in now, Avatar. I'd say this building only has a minute left. What to do, what to do. Do you try to play the hero and save these cretins? Or do you man up and do what needs to be done?"

_"I'm begging you,"_ he whimpered beneath the strain. He tried to pull the two up over the edge, but it was no use. His leg had given out beneath him, and each time he tried, searing pain shot up his thigh. His arms were burning under the stress of trying to pull two human beings up.

"I'm begging you," Azula repeating in a mocking voice. "How hilarious. The 'great' Avatar reduced to begging. But no – the only kind of begging I want to hear is you begging at my feet for the sweet release of death. Before I mercifully oblige."

Thinking quickly, Aang did something that no one expected. He let go of the child and the grandmother. With lightning fast speed, he twirled his body around, blasting Azula off her feet with a powerful explosion of air. Then, as the child and grandmother plummeted, Aang caught them in a cushion of air, so that they gently alighted on the ground, safe and sound.

Smiling weakly that the two were now out of harm's way, the monk never saw the Dark Avatar rise behind him amid the flames – like a nightmarish phoenix. The princess reached out a clawed hand, and suddenly, Aang's chest spasmed with burning pain. He gasped for air, but no air seemed to be entering his chest.

"Wh-what's … happening …?" Aang was forced to his knees, desperately gasping for breath.

Azula grinned. "A little move taught to me by Avatar Ko-Rei. Quite unlike your typical, passive Airbending techniques. It hits you right in the lungs."

Aang rolled over unto his back, surrounded by flames. His vision was swimming, but he could still make out Azula towering over him.

"You see, Avatar, this technique bends the air in your lungs, expanding it, preventing any more air from reaching you. You'll very quickly suffocate – and quite painfully, I might add."

Aang was on his back. The agony was so great that he could scream – if he could draw breath. His lungs were burning for air, his vision was swimming. Every nerve was screaming in his body and his stomach was engulfed in sudden nausea. The next thing he knew, Azula's foot was on his chest, pinning him to the ground.

Azula used her free hand to manipulate the growing fire – keeping it from raging around her so as to prevent her from being burned. "So this is how the Avatar ends. Pathetic. If only that Water Peasant were here to watch you die. Oh wait, I forgot – she's too busy making out with Zuzu to have much time for you!"

This hurt more than Azula's attacks.

It hurt because Aang knew it was the truth. He had been mortally hurt and shattered when he saw Katara kissing Zuko. It wouldn't be so bad had he known he was going to die with Katara's love. But now he was going into oblivion without it.

That was the worst part. All the words, all the memories of the past few days rang in his mind as he began the final stages of expiation.

~0~

_I think Katara might be in love with someone else. Sorry to be the one to break it to you._

~0~

_It's too much, too soon! And if you're can't handle it like a man, maybe we should just take a break from each other!_

~0~

Aang's heartbreak quickly melted into rage. He was angry with Azula, he was angry with Zuko, he was angry with Katara … but most of all, he was angry with himself. He was angry that he believed that someone like her could actually fall in love with someone like him.

In that moment, the earth around them began to tremble and white light began bubbling out of Aang's eyes and mouth.

~0~

_Learn restraint, or risk losing yourself and everything you love!_

~0~

Azula was enjoying her display of sadism so much, that she didn't notice that Aang had entered the Avatar State until his hand reached up and grabbed her wrist.

…

Zuko was clumsily taking part in the fierce melee aboard the Fire Nation. Despite having been hypnotized into forgetting who he was, he had not forgotten the lessons in Firebending that had been reinforced throughout his entire life. The part of his brain that had registered all of the Firebending techniques was still active. So, in short, Zuko was able to hold his own.

Amidst the chaos, he could see several familiar figures. An old man, a Waterbender and some knife girl. In fact, he felt a strong affinity towards the knife girl.

At present, the knife girl was dueling against someone who had his back to her. They circled, and Zuko caught sight of his face. _That guy looks just like me!_

Fake Zuko was effortlessly countering all of Mai's attacks. She had used up all of her darts and shurikens, and was now moving into hand to hand combat. Fake Zuko moved into a mantis stance, easily blocking all of her attacks. He used her own weight against her, throwing her off her feet. He then pointed his palm at her, preparing to fry her alive.

Seeing the look of terror in her face jolted something within Zuko's memory. "Mai," he said. Visions of memories swam before his eyes of him and Mai; the two having a picnic and watching the sunset; Mai saying she hated sunsets; the two kissing; Mai saying she hated kissing; them laughing with Uncle Iroh; Mai saying she hated Uncle Iroh.

Zuko leaped in front of the flames, and deflected them with his own bending. He spread his arms, shielding Mai.

Fake Zuko was stunned. _"You!"_

"That's right, I'm back," Zuko snarled. More memories flooded into his mind. Now he remembered. That _fake_ had tricked him and the Dai Li had given him amnesia. Though his memory was still foggy, he remembered that much. And then, with an animalistic cry, he launched himself at his replica.

Zuko and Fake Zuko began a titanic clash between Firebenders, rolling around the deck, kicking and punching flames at each other. The two knew each other's techniques so well, it was like watching two dance partners moving in perfect coordination.

Zuko fired a fierce explosion of flames at his double. Fake Zuko kicked some more flames, twisting in midair, flipping over the attack. Zuko fired at his feet, and Fake Zuko leaped up into the air, jumping off the side of the airship.

Fake Zuko landed gracefully on the deck of the second airship, daring Zuko to follow. Zuko took a running leap. As he was in midair, Fake Zuko launched an arc of fire at him. Zuko cancelled it out with fire of his own and landed on the second airship with a thud. The two dueled across the vessel, and they both leaped onto the third airship.

From airship to airship they jumped, flames roaring everywhere, neither able to gain the advantage over the other.

"You do realize, after I kill you, I'm just going to assume your identity again," Fake Zuko taunted as he swept Zuko's legs out from under him. The Fire Lord hit the deck, but recovered with an igniting blaze. He charged the doppelganger, forcing him to commit.

Fake Zuko parried a fiery punch, before kneeing Zuko in the stomach. "And after that, I'll make Mai my girlfriend. She'll think I'm you!"

"If you touch her -!"

The replica licked his lips. "I wonder if she's as good a kisser as Katara?"

_"YEAAARGH!"_ Zuko charged right at him. This was what Fake Zuko had been looking for. He sidestepped the attack, gripped the Fire Lord by the arm and shoulder, and flipped him hard down onto his back.

The replica grinned as he gathered energy for the final blow. "Later."

But suddenly, Fake Zuko was thrown off his feet. The Blue Spirit was there, twin swords ready. Cursing, Fake Zuko fired an attack off from his hand. The Blue Spirit dodged, and Zuko was on his feet, joining him. The duo attacked the replica, forcing him back.

Not ready to be outdone, Fake Zuko smashed Zuko's forehead into the airship's railing, before kicking the Blue Spirit in the gut. With a fast-paced move, the replica grabbed the Blue Spirit's arm twisting it in such a way that the warrior was forced to drop one of his broadswords.

The Blue Spirit brought the other broadsword cleaving down, but the replica rolled out of the way. As he did so, he snagged the dropped broadsword and thrust it into the Blue Spirit's abdomen.

"NOO!"

Zuko watched in horror as his frequent savior staggered around. The Blue Spirit pulled the blade out of his stomach, before crumpling to the floor in a heap. Fake Zuko admired his handiwork.

"Well that takes care of that problem."

Blind with rage, Zuko charged his double, only to be rebuffed with more fire. "Silly Fire Lord … when will you understand I know everything about you? I understand your emotions, your instincts. I know how you'll react to everything I do. How can you defeat someone who knows you so intimately?"

"Like this!"

Zuko unleashed a fiery blast at his foe. Fake Zuko easily snuffed the flames out, but too late did he realize that it had been just a distraction.

Zuko kicked one of the Blue Spirit's broadswords off the ground, and the blade went flying, piercing the replica in the stomach. Fake Zuko looked at the real one with a mixture of shock and anger.

"I – I didn't …"

"No, you _didn't_ see that coming," Zuko replied fiercely.

Fake Zuko gave a weak smile, and then, to Zuko's amazement, his features began to distort and his face became like melted wax.

The Fire Lord backed up as Fake Zuko melted before his very eyes, leaving nothing but a shapeless mass of goo. The broadsword fell into the goo with a loud _clang_.

That left Zuko standing there, dumbstruck. Fake Zuko had melted into a shapeless mass of goop, just like the Combustion Man had done only a few weeks before.

"Okay, I _definitely _didn't see that coming."

A moan came from a few feet away, and Zuko was relieved to see that the Blue Spirit was still breathing. He quickly rushed to the aide of the fallen warrior.

…

Azula was quite literally fighting for her life. By taunting Aang about his broken relationship with Katara, she had hoped to throw him off his game. In fact, it had quite the opposite effect. She could kick herself for her oversight. In her arrogance, she had forgotten all about the Avatar State.

Aang hovered dozens of feet above the ground, surrounded by a sphere of air. His rage continued to grow. In fact, this was quite unlike any other time he had gone into the Avatar State. This time, it was more primal, as though an animalistic instinct had taken over. His rage at losing Katara gave him almost beastlike tendencies.

Azula flipped away from him, and attacked with all the Firebending that she had. Aang deflected it with merely a flick of the wrist.

The Princess' eyes widened. For the first time in her life, a genuine feeling of fear rippled through her. The Avatar seemed to become much more feral in the Avatar State – more so than she ever remembered.

For the first time, Aang attacked without discretion. He waved his hand, and explosions detonated around them, blowing city blocks clean to dust. Aang had lost control in his rage. He ripped a building from its foundations and hurled it at Azula.

The Princess dove out of the way, but the Avatar was on the move. She had awoken the beast, and now he was focused on utterly destroying her for her insolence.

He blasted Azula into the side of a building. As the Princess staggered to her feet, she was slammed yet again into a concrete wall. There was a metallic taste in her mouth, and she quickly realized it was blood.

Aang was coming for her again. With a yelp, she scrambled out of the way as gale force winds ripped buildings off their foundations.

In his rage-induced state, Aang was determined to defeat Azula – no matter who got in the way.

…

Gale force winds buffeted the airships. Sokka and Bumi had managed to lead two enemy airships on merry chase, but now something was blowing them all off course.

On the final airship, Katara, Iroh, Jeong Jeong and Mai had defeated the entire Fire Nation crew, but now they were mesmerized at what was happening. On the other side of the city, Aang was flying in the air, destroying everything that was in his path.

They could feel the pure, undiluted fury that was emanating from him. "This isn't good guys," Toph murmured. "Aang usually doesn't become this violent – even in the Avatar State."

Katara couldn't hold back the tears. What was making Aang do this? She remembered, once before, something similar. Aang had almost gone into this type of frenzy in the Si Wong Desert, when he confronted the Sandbenders who had stolen Appa. Could this have something to do with him witnessing Fake Zuko kissing her? He had run out of the room and gone to fight Azula before she could explain what happened.

The real Zuko joined them, carrying the semi-conscious Blue Spirit in his arms. "What does Aang think he's doing," he asked.

"This isn't Aang," Katara answered. "It's like … something else!"

"We have to get to him," Zuko said at once. "Get Sokka and Bumi and tell them to fly towards him. We have to stop this madness before it goes too far. Before Aang actually _kills _someone!"

As they left, Toph sadly shook her head. She remembered the vision of destruction at Wei-Zhen's Falls and realized that Chien was right.

~0~

_I have seen this vision of the future as well. It is what will happen if the Avatar does not learn to place his duties before his own wants and needs._

~0~

They had not heeded Chien's warning. Aang was walking perilously close to the path of Avatar Ko-Rei. If something wasn't done soon, she feared for what her friend could become.

…

Azula was growing more and more desperate by the minute. Though her powers were great, they paled in comparison to that of the Avatar State. She had underestimated the threshold of Aang's emotions.

Aang glared at her with those glowing eyes. Azula braced herself into a defensive position. If this was it, she was going to go down spectacularly.

Suddenly, Ying and two Dai Li agents appeared at her side. "We're going," he growled, and Azula winced at the sense of disappointment in his voice.

Ying quickly gathered chi, and fired a bolt of lightning at the glowing Avatar. Aang allowed it to flow through his body, before redirecting it away into the sky.

That moment of distraction was all Ying needed. The two Dai Li agents opened up a hole in the ground. Ying pushed Azula into it, before jumping in himself. The Dai Li agents followed suit, sealing the hole away again. The four of them would escape Ba Sing Se beneath the underground network of tunnels.

They walked in silence, and Azula's own rage bubbled within her. She clenched her fists so tightly that her sharpened nails dug into her skin.

The Avatar State had proven to be too much for her – for now. She was not yet ready to face the Avatar. She would have to master her Dark Avatar State first – and once that happened she would end the Avatar Cycle – permanently.

_Yes Avatar. Next time we meet I will eradicate you and your pathetic friends. For good. Just you wait…_

…

When the gang finally reached Aang, the gale force winds had finally subsided. He was no longer in the Avatar State. Instead, he was lying on the ground in the midst of the devastation he had caused. He was in a fetal position, sobbing sorrowfully. Momo was there, trying to wipe his tears away with a small leaf.

Sokka moved towards his broken friend, and tried to console him. Aang shrugged him off. "I'm not worth it," he muttered, his cheeks splattered with tears. He drew his knees up to his face, burying his eyes into his pants.

"Aang," Katara began, but Aang silenced her.

"Please, don't say anything. I don't feel like talking much right now."

Katara nodded. "I understand." She kneeled down next to him, and laid his head on her shoulder; he began sobbing uncontrollably into her shirt. She rocked back and forth, silently cradling him in her arms.

…

"Is Aang going to be okay," Toph asked once they were all safely back at the White Lotus base.

"He's in his room," Katara said. "I explained to him about what he really saw with me and the false Zuko. He seemed to accept it, but he didn't say much. I think he needs alone time to process it all."

"Who would've known Twinkletoes could be pushed so far," Toph commented.

"I've never seen him become so enraged – even in the Avatar State. It was like he was channeling all the pain he's been feeling into the Avatar State." Katara was pacing. "First he discovers that he truly is the Last Airbender at the fifth air temple. He finds out that his mentor, Monk Gyatso was involved in some subversive plot, and then he thinks that Zuko and I are in love."

"Well given all that, it still doesn't justify him going to that extreme," Toph remarked.

"I know. But it does explain a whole lot."

Toph sat back down in a chair. "I had a vision of this, Katara. At Wei-Zhen's Falls. I'm sorry I didn't tell anyone. I-I didn't think it was possible. And I think Aang might get progressively worse."

"What do you mean?"

"Chien told me that Aang was becoming more and more like Avatar Ko-Rei. At first I didn't believe him, but now I think he might have been right. He said that Aang needed to learn to let go of the ones he cared about."

"But that's not right," Katara remarked. "He doesn't need to let go of us. If anything, he needs us now more than ever. We can _help_ him. Stop him from falling the way Avatar Ko-Rei did."

Toph blew a strand of hair from her forehead. "I sure hope so, Katara. In the meantime, what do you think Zuko's doing with that masked dude?"

Katara shrugged. "Iroh said that the Blue Spirit's wounds were severe, but he expects him to make a full recovery. It's strange – Iroh knows something, but he says that it's not his place to tell us who the Blue Spirit is."

"Well, whoever he is, Zuko's been spending the last hour alone in the room with him."

"Give Zuko a break, Toph. The Blue Spirit has saved his life countless times before."

The sound of someone blundering down the stairs interrupted the conversation. It was Sokka. "Hey, Zuko says he wants us to meet the Blue Spirit."

"Speak of the devil," whistled Toph.

They went upstairs to the bedroom where the Blue Spirit was being kept. Zuko met them outside the bedroom, and they were surprised to see tears in his eyes.

"Don't worry," he answered. "These are tears of joy."

"Well, what gives Sparkey," asked Toph.

Zuko slowly opened the door to the Blue Spirit's bedroom. "Guys … I'd like to introduce you all to my mom."

…

That evening was a very somber one. Zuko missed dinner to spend time with his mother, who had been sleeping peacefully.

Katara, meanwhile, had decided to go bring some food up to Aang. She was also hoping to get him to open up to her.

She knocked on the door. "Aang, I brought you some dinner."

No answer.

To her surprise, the door slowly creaked open. The room was completely dark, but Katara immediately noticed a terrible draft. "Aang?" She lit a candle, only to find the bedroom window thrown wide open.

There was a note lying on a bedside dresser. Katara grabbed it and her eyes scanned the contents. She dropped the plate of food and thundered downstairs.

"Guys! Look at this!"

They each took turns reading the letter. Sokka had to read it aloud for Toph.

…

_ Dear Friends,_

_ I know this will be hard for you to take, but you have to be strong. I've decided to leave and go on my own. Avatar Roku and everyone else has been telling me that I need to learn to give up the things I love in order to take on the responsibilities of being the Avatar. After today's events, I've learned the truth of their words. What I almost did today was incomprehensible. I know this hurts, but it might be for the best if we split up. I'm going to find and stop Azula once and for all. Perhaps, one day, we might meet again, but for now, this is goodbye. I truly love you all, and I hope you understand the reasons why I'm doing this._

_ Love Forever and Ever,_

_ Aang_

…

Katara fell back into a chair, her hands trembling and her lips quivering. Aang had run away, leaving them all behind.

Everyone else was just as stunned and hurt.

The young monk, who brought so much joy, laughter, and most importantly – hope – to all of their lives had just walked out on them.

He was gone from their lives as sure as one day leaves for the next.

…

Aang rode Appa silently towards the pale night sky. Momo sat on his shoulder, chattering sadly. Even Appa seemed miserable at the thought of leaving behind everybody else.

Aang set his gaze on the moon. There was no turning back now. He had to do this – for his own good and for the good of his friends. Wherever Azula was, he would have to find her and end this once and for all.

On his own.

But if one were to get a good look at Aang's face that night, one would see silent tears trailing down his cheeks in the crescent moonlight…

…


	18. Chapter 18: Aang Alone

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

…

Book 4:

Air

Chapter eighteen:

Aang Alone

…

Ba Sing Se lay in ruins. Half of the city had been reduced to smoldering rubble, and great black plumes of smoke ascended up into the sky, darkening the heavens. Pale rays of sunlight managed to break through the smoke, scattering heaps of radiance across portions of the street.

It was a particularly gloomy day in the White Lotus hideout. The revelation of Zuko's mother as the Blue Spirit did lift everyone's spirits somewhat, but it was hampered with the absconding of Aang.

Zuko's mother, Ursa, was resting peacefully in her bedroom, still recovering from the injury delivered to her by Fake Zuko. Zuko sat by her bedside hour after hour, holding her hand. She would fade in and out of consciousness, talk incoherently for a little while, before falling back asleep. Zuko would not leave her side, except for bathroom breaks and meals.

Toph and Sokka had become strangely silent that morning. It was surmised that they were both shocked and angry about Aang's running away. Though they wouldn't admit it, they felt betrayed and abandoned.

Katara took it particularly hard, though she would admit it to no one. Instead, she did her best to remain upbeat. As soon as a very awkward breakfast was over, Katara ushered the gang into the living room, where she began lecturing them.

"We need to decide our next course of action," she began. "We need to find and bring back Aang."

Toph made a _pfft _sound. "Why," she asked.

Katara looked affronted. "_Why? _Because he's our friend!"

"Some friend," Toph grumbled. "He abandoned us, just like that!"

"He didn't abandon us," Katara argued. "He's had a lot on his mind, and he's in a very delicate mental state! He needs us now more than ever!"

"_He_ needs _us_? _We _need _him_! And he ran out on us!"

"Because he thinks it was in all of our best interests! He thinks he'll be putting us in danger by sticking around!"

"Afraid of putting us in danger? He's put us in danger since day one!"

Sokka decided to pipe up. "I don't mean to upset anyone, but I kind of agree with Toph on this one. Aang's being very childish. I say if he wants to run off on his own and leave us high and dry, let him!"

Katara was exasperated. "I can't _believe_ what I'm hearing! How can all of you be so callous towards Aang?"

Toph's voice was reaching a fever pitch. "Aang seems to have no problem being so callous towards us. To just leave us with nothing but a note … he didn't even have the guts to look us in the eye as he ditched us! He should have discussed this with us! He should have let us know how he was feeling!"

Katara's temper was rising, and her fists were clenched at her sides. "Toph, you're being such a hypocrite! It was you who had a vision of all this at Wei-Zhen's Falls! It was you who Chien warned about what was going to happen! You didn't once open your mouth about any of it!"

Toph was on her feet. "Only because I didn't believe Aang could go overboard like that! And if anyone's to blame, it's _you_, Sugar Queen!"

The Waterbender was taken aback. _"Me? _How am _I_ responsible?"

"Aang was your boyfriend! You should have been more in touch with his feelings instead of flirting with Zuko!"

"I wasn't _flirting _with Zuko! And in case you forgot, it was the false Zuko who slithered his tongue down my throat!"

Zuko finally stood up from where he was sitting. "Listen guys, all this blaming each other is not going to get us anywhere. We can't let this situation tear us apart. With or without Aang, we're all still a team. We're all still in this together."

"Well what do _you_ propose our next move should be," Katara asked irritably, arms folded.

"The Autumnal Equinox is only a week and a half away. I say, with or without Aang, we go after Azula."

Katara rolled her eyes. "Uh, in case you haven't noticed, none of us is a match against Azula."

"None of us individually," Zuko replied. "But if we all strike together, then maybe … just maybe … we might have a chance."

Sokka was rubbing his chin. "I admit, it is a long shot. And we'll most likely all be killed."

"Well aren't you just Mr. Optimism," Toph said sarcastically. Sokka glared at her.

"As I was saying, it's a long shot. But it's the best plan we've got. If what Avatar Roku told Aang was true, if the Dark Avatar isn't stopped before the Autumnal Equinox, we're all doomed anyway."

Katara sighed and flopped herself on a chair. "I suppose you're right, Sokka. But still … I just don't feel right about not even attempting to find Aang."

"No one's saying it feels right," replied Zuko. "But there's nothing we can do for him at this point. If he feels like he needs to be alone, then maybe it's all for the better. Maybe he can work through his issues better by himself."

There was a moment of tense, awkward silence.

It was interrupted by Iroh coming downstairs. He was positively beaming. "Zuko, your mother is awake right now."

Zuko stood up excitedly, nearly knocking over the coffee table in his excitement. "Did she say anything?"

Iroh nodded. "She's asking for you. There's … so much she must tell you…"

…

A royal procession made its way outside of the palace towards an airship that had docked moments ago. Four Imperial Firebenders carried a large throne on their shoulders. Seated atop the throne was Phoenix King Ozai.

Ozai's face was grim as his throne was set down on an elevated series of stairs. A small group emerged from the docked airship and hurriedly prostrated themselves before the Phoenix King. Azula and Ying lowered themselves so that their faces were nearly touching the ground.

"You have failed."

The tone of the Phoenix King's voice was like a whip cracked over his daughter's shoulders.

"Father, if you will allow me to explain – the Avatar went into his Avatar State. There was no way I could have -."

"Silence!"

The Princess' voice stopped abruptly.

Ozai rapped his fingers impatiently on the arm of his throne. "I had thought that finding you bending masters to teach you would have been sufficient. I thought that you would be able to destroy the Avatar. It appears I was mistaken…"

"No Father! I assure you, I _can_ destroy the Avatar! He merely surprised me, that's all!"

Ozai snorted derisively, before turning his attention to the man kneeling next to his daughter. "And you, General Ying. Our little plan to take Ba Sing Se went up in smoke – literally! You both have failed me beyond measure! What use is Ba Sing Se to me when half of it lies in ruins?"

Ying lowered his head. "My lord … I take full responsibility for this failure."

For the first time, Ozai smiled. "Never fear, my good General. This failure was due more to my daughter's haughtiness and overconfidence than the Avatar's overall skills. I assure you, I have much greater plans for you, General Ying."

"Thank you my lord."

"And as for you, Azula …"

The Princess shrank under her father's wilting gaze. She had always prided herself on being the perfect weapon, her father's ultimate tool of conquest. She had always pleased her father. But this …

This was unacceptable. Her failure gnawed at her soul, just as it had gnawed at her after her defeat during Sozin's Comet. She had failed her father, her one parent who had shown any kind of interest in her power. The one man who had full confidence in her.

Now that confidence was dashed.

Ozai's face seemed to soften. "I should have realized you were not ready to face the Avatar. I was overconfident, just as I was when I faced him myself. I shall not make the same mistake three times."

Azula looked up at him, surprised at the small smile crossing his face.

"F-father?"

"The Avatar has mastered his Avatar State. So don't you think that it is only fair that when you face him again, you are master of your Dark Avatar State?"

"I'm to be given another chance?"

Ozai nodded. "One more chance. Our defeat at Ba Sing Se is not the loss I initially thought. Now that the Avatar has destroyed half the city, he has severely crippled the Earth Kingdom's last center of defense. The Earth Kingdom will be powerless once my armies flood it. And you will have the opportunity to destroy the Avatar once and for all."

Azula was overwhelmed, and prostrated herself once again. "Thank you, Father." She gazed back up at him expectantly. "But what is this about me learning the Dark Avatar State?"

The Phoenix King chortled. "We have found someone who can teach you." He snapped his fingers, and several guards led an older man bound and gagged into view.

Azula seemed unimpressed. "A new teacher?"

"He will suffice. He taught the Avatar to master his Avatar State." Ozai's eyes narrowed. "Yes, he was quite difficult to track down, but my men finally caught him at the Eastern Air Temple."

"But how are you so sure he will teach me?"

A sinister sneer crossed Ozai's face. "Because for each day he refuses to teach you, I will have one town in the Earth Kingdom burned to the ground. He's an idealist … he won't have innocent blood on his hands." Ozai stood up, and snapped his fingers. "See that our prisoner is well fed and watered. We need him to be in tip-top shape to teach the Princess!"

With a tug on his chains, the guards led Guru Pathik away.

…

Pain.

It was a dull pain that thumped away in Aang's temples in the atmosphere's thin air. The events of the previous day were all hazy, dreamlike. It was almost as if it had happened to somebody else.

But no. It was him. He had thought he had seen Katara kissing Zuko. It had sent him into an emotionally fragile state, and in that delicate mindset, he had been driven into a temporary madness.

Azula.

She had pushed him too far that time. He was hurting at what he thought he saw, and Azula knew exactly what his buttons were. The only thing she didn't know was the extent of Aang's madness once his buttons had been pushed one too many times.

She underestimated the violent force that could be unleashed from within the gentle monk.

The memory of it shamed Aang. If he had just listened to Avatar Roku and everybody else, then perhaps he wouldn't have gone into such a blind rage. He might not have leveled half of Ba Sing Se – he winced at the thought. Hopefully, no one had been seriously injured, and if he had inadvertently caused a death – why he might never forgive himself.

If he had just listened, perhaps he could have kept from falling into that fierce rage and he could have found a way to defeat Azula. But because of him, the Princess was still on the loose, running amok throughout the nations.

She would only become more powerful, and with the Autumnal Equinox only a week and a half away, time was not something that he had at his disposal.

There was a sudden rumbling in his stomach, and he patted his belly mournfully. Momo chattered in his ear, the little critter pointing at his own mouth.

Aang swallowed in his dry throat. "I suppose we could stop somewhere for breakfast. What do you think, Appa?"

The sky bison let out a hopeful groan, and Aang nodded. "We can stop at the nearest town, and hopefully pick up some more supplies. I'd also like to meditate somewhere, but we can't stay too long. I don't want to lose Azula's trail."

Moaning gratefully, the sky bison landed softly in a nearby town. Aang leaped off his back, carefully holding his staff out in front of him. He didn't know why, but he was becoming increasingly tense – as though Azula or some other Fire Nation ghoul might just pop out at him from behind any corner.

The first thing Aang noticed about the town was the way the townspeople seemed to stop what they were doing and just stare at him, mouths open. One mother hastily grabbed her two children by the wrists and pulled them inside their house. They began whispering and pointing nervously.

Aang had grown used to people staring and whispering about him whenever he showed up – but this was most unusual. Usually it was happy staring and whispering. But the people seemed genuinely horrified to see him.

"Wonder what's gotten into them," he asked Momo. The lemur merely shrugged.

Trying to make the best of his situation, Aang strolled right up to the nearest food merchant. His eyes gleamed at all the sumptuous goodies the merchant had proudly displayed. "Let's see … I'll have a bag of leechie nuts, about a pound of spice-berries … do you happen to have any onion-banana juice? I've grown kind of a taste for it…" He was counting out his coins when he noticed the merchant, shivering, his eyes wide with horror.

Aang groaned. "Oh no, not you too?"

The merchant piled up all of Aang's goods. "Here you go! Now please, just leave me alone!"

"But I haven't paid you…"

"Just take it! On the house! Just please don't hurt me!"

Aang was sincerely taken aback. "Hurt you? Why would I do that …?"

The merchant pointed a shaking finger, and Aang's eyes followed. The man was pointing at a piece of paper pinned to a nearby wall. The monk grabbed the paper. It was a WANTED poster.

A WANTED poster with his picture on it. He read the caption below his face. _"Wanted for kidnapping the Earth King and attempting to destroy Ba Sing Se."_

Aang clenched his fist and crumpled the paper up. "That's ridiculous! I didn't kidnap the Earth King – he's safe and sound at Wei-Zhen's Falls! And I didn't mean to destroy half of Ba Sing Se! It was an accident! I couldn't control myself! I-." He finished his rant as he noticed a shadow fall over him.

"There he is men. Arrest him!"

Aang turned around and found himself surrounded by four Earth Kingdom soldiers. One of them he recognized.

"General How!"

General How was not pleased to see him. He merely pointed his finger and repeated, "Arrest him!"

Aang backed away as soldiers moved to surround him. "General How – what's going on?"

"In the name of Earth King Kuei, you are under arrest, Avatar Aang."

The young monk merely gaped. "A-arrest?" His knuckles whitened on his staff. "On what charges?"

"For willful destruction of nearly half of Ba Sing Se. And for the kidnapping of Earth King Kuei!"

"But I didn't kidnap the Earth King! And I didn't mean to destroy Ba Sing Se. I was just -."

"Save your empty excuses, Avatar. My men saw you tear Ba Sing Se apart with our own eyes." The general nodded at the other three soldiers. "Take him alive. Once imprisoned, he'll tell us where he's stashed the Earth King."

Aang shook his head in frustration. "I haven't stashed the Earth King _anywhere_! He's safe at Wei-Zhen's Falls!"

"There is no such place as Wei-Zhen's Falls, Avatar. It's a fable; a myth."

"It is _not_ a myth! It's _real_! I've been there, I've seen it! I can take you -."

"Enough! Men, bind him!"

The Earthbenders widened their stances, and Aang suddenly found his feet encased in solid rock.

Aang sighed. "You want to play this way – fine!" With a quick hand motion, the rocky bindings encasing his feet shattered, and Aang twirled his staff like a baton, blasting the soldier on his left clean off his feet.

"He's resisting arrest," How yelled as he and the other two made to attack. Aang swatted one aside with his staff, and then spun in the air over the head of the second. He Airbended the second soldier clean off the ground, knocking him out cold. He turned to see General How punch two boulders straight at his head.

Aang sidestepped both boulders, only to have two more fly at him – one heading for his head, the other his knees. Aang twisted horizontally in midair, the boulders barely grazing him, before landing gracefully on his feet.

But General How was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, the general burst up from beneath the ground behind Aang, gripping him in a forceful bear hug. "It's over, Avatar. Don't try to resist anymore – you'll only make things worse for yourself."

"I'm sorry, General. I don't have time for this, and I'm not going to allow myself to be arrested for a crime I didn't commit."

With that, Aang used a technique that had once been taught to him by Zuko.

He used Firebending to momentarily superheat his skin.

"YEAARRGGHH!"

General How screamed as his hands were burned, and he instinctively dropped the Avatar to the ground. The monk scrabbled to his feet, before blasting General How into the wall of a building. With a flick of his index finger, he bound the general to the wall by the wrists and ankles. He stood there, momentarily, admiring his handiwork.

"What are you waiting for, Avatar," How asked weakly. "Finish me off!"

Aang was completely affronted. "How could you even _think_ I would do that?"

"You had no trouble destroying half of Ba Sing Se!"

"That was an accident that I'll regret until the day I die. I can only hope that there were no casualties as a result of my actions."

How surveyed him darkly. "Be that as it may … there's a definite change about you, Avatar. You're not the same carefree monk that you were during the spring."

Aang's face darkened. "So I've heard," he answered bitterly. He turned on his heel and marched towards Appa. He gave the general one last look.

"People change, General. What we are born as does not define what we become."

And with that, he and the bison were gone.

…

For three long years, Zuko would often lay awake at night, dreaming of this moment. The moment when he would be reunited with his mother.

Only he pictured it as being a much more beautiful moment.

It had to be the most awkward conversation Zuko had ever shared with another human being. It was quite strange really. He and his mother had always been close – there had never been secrets between them. Playing in the palace gardens, feeding the turtle-ducks, listening to her read his favorite fairy tales to him and Azula. Of course Azula never really cared for those kinds of stories – unless it had lots of violence and wanton acts of destruction.

Ursa also didn't seem quite too sure of what to say. How could she look into the eyes of the son whom she abandoned? All the burning questions he longed to ask her, and she was worried of how she would answer them.

Iroh was never the question-asking type. She knew that he would be patient and allow her to speak her feelings when she was good and ready.

But Zuko…

Her son was of the more "I need immediate answers now" variety.

In short, Ursa was scared of communicating with her son. So she lay in her bed, propped up in pillows, twiddling he thumbs. She didn't know how much longer she would be bedridden as a result of the injury given to her by the Fake Zuko. Not long, she hoped. She was itching for more action.

Zuko was just staring pointedly at her, fidgeting in his seat, and she realized that he was just as nervous as she was. So she gathered her courage and was the first to speak up.

"Zuko, I hope you aren't angry with me," she blurted out. She had meant to choose her words carefully, but she hadn't been able to guard her tongue. The words had just flowed out of her mouth.

Her son looked genuinely puzzled. "A-angry?" He could feel his cheeks blushing. Sure, he had felt some semblance of anger initially after she left … but as he grew up, he realized that she was not to blame. It his father – no – Ozai's fault.

Ursa anxiously bit the inside of her cheek. "Angry over me leaving you."

Zuko shook his head. "Not at all … _Mom_." That title. How often he had craved to use it. "I understand … mostly."

"I had to be banished, Zuko. But I want you to know, everything I did, I did for you! I couldn't let … I couldn't let your father … I just had to."

Zuko was instantly out of his seat and standing next to his mother. His hand found hers. "Say no more, Mom. Azula and I overheard Father's little talk with Grandfather Azulon. He was planning to kill me to take the throne."

The next thing Zuko knew was a wet sensation on his hand. He looked up, and saw a second teardrop drip from his mother's face and land on his hand. "I did what I had to," Ursa was repeating quietly. "I did what I had to…"

Zuko could feel his heart wrenching. What his mother did … no he couldn't think of that right now. His mother was hurting, and now he was going to be there for her.

"It's okay, Mom."

"I've done horrible things …"

Zuko wiped her tears away with his index finger. "We don't have to talk about those things if you don't want to, Mom. We can forget about them. We can start over, be a family again!"

Ursa repeated the word over. _"Family."_

"Yes," Zuko replied, seating himself on the bed so that he could be closer to his mother. "A family."

For the first time, a small smile worked its way into Ursa's slightly wrinkled face. Wrinkles not caused by age, Zuko realized, but by three years of emotional trauma – being haunted by works of treason and separation from her own children.

There was a gentle lull in the conversation, and Zuko sat looking out the window. Parts of Ba Sing Se still burned due to yesterday's battle … scores of workers came out to salvage the damage. So far, there were no reports of anyone being killed. Many injuries, however…

When Zuko found his voice again, it was to ask a question that had been in the back of his mind for a long time.

"Mom … how exactly did you become the Blue Spirit?"

Another smile crossed Ursa's face, and she gave him a playful wink. "Like mother, like son."

Zuko merely stared.

"It's in our blood," she answered. "The legend of the Blue Spirit dates back to antiquity, but the first flesh and blood Blue Spirit donned the mask and swords a hundred years ago. The first human who took the mantle of the Blue Spirit was a woman born in the Fire Nation; however, she was quite the trickster. She one day drew the ire of Koh, the Face Stealer. Koh wanted to steal her face, but she made a proposition. If she could defeat the Avatar in a battle, she was to go free. Koh eagerly agreed, believing no one would be able to defeat the Avatar. So she went to go challenge Avatar Roku, who had just returned to the Fire Nation after mastering all four elements."

Zuko chortled. "I may be good with a sword, but I've seen how powerful Aang can get, and he's just a pre-teen. I can't imagine going up against a full blown Avatar like Roku."

Ursa grinned mischievously. "Ah, but did I not say that the Blue Spirit was a trickster? She had a battle in mind – but not the kind Koh expected. It was a battle of wits. She gave Roku a riddle that completely stumped him. Koh was furious, and attempted to steal her face regardless. Unfortunately, she tricked him into stealing one of her Blue Spirit masks. Even better, Avatar Roku was smitten with her. They were married a month later. I'm sure your uncle clued you into your genealogy."

"Great-Grandmother Ta-Min. She was the Blue Spirit?"

Ursa nodded. "Your skills with the broadswords come to you naturally – haven't you always wondered why? It's in your blood. Over the next few generations, the legacy of the Blue Spirit was passed down, parent to child. I never had the chance to teach you, but I knew you would make a great successor to the Blue Spirit one day. That was why, before I was banished, I left a spare costume and a pair of broadswords to your uncle. I knew he would make sure they found their way to you."

Zuko nodded. "That costume got me out of more than a few sticky situations." This feeling he was having … it was like he was part of a legacy now. Part of a group of elite warriors that only his family were members of.

Ursa bit her lip. "Okay, now that we have a bit of family history out of the way, I have a question for _you_."

"Okay, shoot."

It was a question Zuko had been hoping to avoid.

"Is Azula alright?"

The second the question left her lips, it charged the air with a tense electricity. "Well … she's in excellent physical condition …"

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

"She … she …" _Just tell her,_ he thought. _Just let out and tell her. She needs to know the truth. _"Mom, Azula is the Dark Avatar."

"Oh." It was a very simple reaction, one that Zuko hadn't quite been expecting. "I see."

"Mom, don't you realize what this means?"

"It means that I have a very confused daughter that I just abandoned." More tears appeared in Ursa's face. "I should never have left her alone with Ozai. No matter what your father did to me." She buried her face in her hands. "Believe it or not, I have always favored you, Zuko."

"That's not true!"

"It is! I thought I was doing you a favor, since your father obviously favored Azula and shunted you to the side. But I realize now that I did the same thing to her that your father did to you. I should have been more nurturing to her. I was very hard on her … harder than I should have been …"

"You had to be! Even as a child, Azula was out of control!"

"But if I had been more motherly towards her … perhaps things could have been different."

"No Mom! We have to accept plain facts – Azula is just pure evil!"

Ursa peered at him over her fingers. "I can't believe that, Zuko. She may have done evil things, but deep inside is a frightened little girl in need of her mother." She said that with the same finality in her voice that Zuko had grown to know so well – he knew that it would be fruitless to argue the point with his mother on this one.

He sat back down on his chair. "Okay, well now I have another question for you, Mom. Where did you go after your banishment?"

Ursa opened her mouth, when someone stood in the doorway.

"Knock knock," Iroh said, smiling warmly. He carried a tray and set it on the bedside. "I have some nice vegetable soup, and a wonderful cleansing tea that Jin and Toph helped me to make."

Iroh smiled down at his sister-in-law, and began fluffing her pillows. Ursa gently waved him off. "Oh Iroh, you always did fuss over me."

"Why shouldn't I? You're my favorite sister-in-law."

"I'm your only sister-in-law."

"Hence the reason why you're my favorite," he teased. He moved to spoon-feed her soup.

"Oh come on," she groused. "You don't have to fawn over me like that. I only have a slight injury – I'm not an invalid."

"I would hardly call a sword wound to the abdomen a 'slight' injury, Ursa. And I'm not doing this because I think you're helpless. I'm doing it because that's what family does for each other."

Zuko cleared his throat. "Uncle, Mom was just about to tell me where she had been all this time."

Iroh's eyes widened and he looked at her. "A reasonable question," he said. "And one I would like to hear the answer to, if your mother doesn't have any objections."

Ursa shifted herself to make herself more comfortable. "Not at all. It's … a kind of strange story. I suppose for the first few months after my banishment that I was in kind of a daze. I wanted to return to the Fire Nation, but I was now a fugitive. I wandered around the Earth Kingdom for a while, before I finally took a cruise heading for Kyoshi Island. I was going to apply for a job teaching the Kyoshi Warriors martial arts techniques I learned as the Blue Spirit, when a freak storm appeared out of nowhere. The boat capsized. I have no idea what happened to everyone else onboard, but I for sure thought I was going to drown. As I clung to a wooden board, drifting in the violent waves, I saw it."

Zuko leaned forward in anticipation. "Saw what?"

"I can't say for certain. It appeared to be a person – but it had wings. It swooped in and … saved me, I think. I don't really know, as I lost consciousness. When I awoke, I found myself in the strangest place. It looked like an old temple, but it was all dilapidated, and broken down. I made my way out of the temple, and found myself in the midst of a weird continent. It was the strangest place I'd ever seen. It was large enough to be a continent, but yet it wasn't part of the Four Nations. It had streams, rivers, and lakes, giant plains as far as the eye could see … blue oceans … fire pits and volcanic turf. But it was deserted. Not one living thing in sight – it was eerie. I stayed there for several weeks, living off of fruits and nuts, gathering fresh water from streams. When I was strong enough, I made a makeshift raft, and floated out to sea. I have idea how long I drifted, but I eventually found myself back in the Earth Kingdom, where I lived in seclusion."

Zuko leaned forward. "This winged person that saved you … could it have been an Airbender?"

Ursa shrugged. "Who knows? It may not have even been human. This world is filled with undiscovered wonders. Whatever it was, all I know is I owe it my life."

Iroh, however, was deeply in thought, stroking his beard absentmindedly. "Shambhala," he said suddenly.

Zuko and Ursa stared at him curiously.

"Shambhala?"

"The place of legend. Believed, almost universally, to be a myth."

"Tell us," Zuko pressed.

"According to the legend, Shambhala was where the first benders appeared. It was a land of harmony, where all four benders lived together in bliss. But then fighting broke out over whose bending disciplines were greater. Angry, and tired of all the constant fighting, the benders left to go found their own nations, where their disciplines would be dominant. That is how the Four Nations were purportedly started. Shambhala is allegedly a very spiritual place, filled with intense spirit magic. Many spirits cross over into the Spirit World from there; and vice-versa."

"Interesting. And you believe it exists," Zuko asked.

"Your mother's story is proof that it does, indeed, exist."

"But how do you know I arrived at Shambhala at all? How do you know I didn't arrive at some other, uncharted territory?"

"The temple you found yourself in … there are rumors of a sixth air temple that was built at Shambhala."

"A sixth?"

Iroh crooned. "According to legend, Avatar Ko-Rei built two temples. The fifth one, found by Aang, Katara and Sokka – and a sixth one. The legend goes, that Avatar Ko-Rei found Shambhala and built a temple there. Before he was removed from the Avatar Cycle, he allegedly hid a great secret there – deep beneath surface of the temple – way down into the earth's crust. Then he killed everyone who remained on that continent."

"But what is his secret?"

"No one knows for sure. But it is said, that if one discovers the secret of Avatar Ko-Rei, one will discover the ultimate revelation of mankind. Many treasure-hunters and seekers have gone looking for Shambhala, to find Ko-Rei's secret. And if Ozai and Azula were to discover it, it could be disastrous for us all."

Zuko leaned back in his chair. "So if Ko-Rei built this sixth air temple, could that mean that there might be Airbenders there?"

Ursa shook her head. "Granted, if I was at Shambhala, it was completely empty. No Airbenders in sight, save for the possible Airbender that saved me – and there's no guarantee that he was an Airbender either."

"But enough talk," Iroh said as he gathered up Ursa's tray. "Your mother has a lot of recovering to do and -."

"I do not need recovering, Iroh!" She winced in pain as she said those words.

"Point proven," the old man answered, and he began shooing Zuko from the room.

"Get some rest mom," Zuko called over his shoulder. "I can't wait to tell Mai about everything you've told me."

"Who's Mai," Ursa asked innocently.

"My girlfriend."

Ursa instantly shot up, and there was a hint of displeasure in her voice. "You have a _girlfriend_?"

…

Azula was fully prepared for her first lesson with that bald-headed guru freak, or whatever he was. She arrived promptly at the palace gardens, and found it protected by Imperial Firebenders – just to make sure that their prisoner didn't make a break for it.

To her utter surprise, Guru Pathik was sitting cross-legged in the gardens, as though the armed guards weren't even there. So she strolled right up to him and gave him a soft kick in the leg with her foot.

The guru opened one eye and then motioned for her to sit down next to him. Azula copied his posture, crossing her legs in the same way as him. The next thing she knew, he was handing her a bowl filled with some weird concoction.

"Drink it," he ordered.

Suspecting poison, the Princess brought the bowl to her nose. Sensing nothing, she gingerly took a sip – before spitting out the contents right into the guru's face.

"What is this foul drink?"

"It is onion-banana juice. And it is quite tasty once you get used to it."

Azula _bleched._

"Drink it," the guru repeated.

"I will not. If you want me to drink so bad, give me some wine or something!"

"Wine will only help to intoxicate you – further cloud your mind. Onion-banana juice is good for your mind and for your chi." The guru slowly opened his eyes and stretched, before gulping down an entire bowl of onion-banana juice.

"So, am I going to be learning how to master my Dark Avatar State, or are we just going to be meditating here all day?"

Pathik frowned. "I would not be doing this, if it were not for your father's threats."

Azula beamed.

The guru rubbed his temples. "This will be quite complicated. In order for the Avatar to enter the Avatar State, he had to open up his chakras. But you are the opposite of him – in order to master your Dark Avatar State, you must do the opposite. You must close all your chakras."

Azula cracked her knuckles. "Let's get to it then."

Pathik merely shook his head. "So sure of yourself. So sure that this is _right_…"

"What do you mean?"

"Closing ones chakras … it is rarely done. Most people go through life with some of their chakras open and some of their chakras closed. Very few have had all of them completely opened. To my knowledge, nobody has had all of them completely closed. I'm not sure what will happen. The results … could be fatal."

Azula snorted. "Fatal? Ha! In case you need reminding, I am the Dark Avatar – nothing can hurt me."

It was Guru Pathik's turn to snort. "You know much of combat and human psychology, but of spiritual things, you are woefully ignorant, Princess."

Azula's eye twitched. "Ignorant? How dare you call the Princess of the Fire Nation -."

"Ignorant," Pathik interrupted. "You have no knowledge of the human spirit, and therefore you cannot understand how potentially disastrous this could be. And suppose we are successful in closing your chakras. You will tap into the unending power of the Dark Avatar State, but at what cost? You may very well damage your own soul…"

Azula motioned for him to hurry up and finish his speech. "Let's get one thing straight, baldy. I believe all your talk of spirituality is a bunch of mumbo-jumbo. The only thing the Spirit World exists for is to give us humans power. Either a person is strong enough to tap into that power, or they are not. That's it."

Pathik was almost speechless. "You are being very foolish. If you are not careful, your ignorance and overconfidence will be your downfall."

"Yada, yada, yada. You, the Avatar, the freaks from the Spirit World – you really all do sound alike. What, do you all have some magical script that you read from? Understand this – I'm not here to listen to your mindless ramblings. I'm here to learn how to master my Dark Avatar State. So hurry up and make with the teaching – unless you'd prefer my father to turn an Earth Kingdom town into a gigantic ashtray?"

The guru lowered his head, defeated. "As you wish, Princess. Shall we begin?"

"That's better."

…

Aang gently pulled on the reigns of his bison, and Appa immediately began descending to lower altitudes. Momo chattered in Aang's ear.

"We're just making a pit stop, Momo," the Avatar explained. "If I remember my geography right, there's an Earth Temple not far from here. I just want to meditate for a few minutes. My encounter with General How left a bad taste in my mouth and I need to center myself for a bit."

Appa gently alighted on the ground, and Aang found himself before a small temple. "This place was built centuries ago by a group of Earthbenders. It's not a big temple … more of a shrine actually … but it'll serve to help me meditate."

The bald monk carefully pushed the door open and stepped inside. The temple was indeed quite small – in fact, it was only one room. There was a small statue built of Avatar Kyoshi, and Aang knelt before it.

"Avatar Kyoshi, if I've ever needed the wisdom of the past Avatars, it's now."

And as he began meditating, he felt himself leaving his body and entering the Spirit World.

…

"THAT HAS GOT TO BE THE MOST INFURIATING MAN I HAVE EVER MET IN MY LIFE!"

Azula was shouting at the top of her lungs as she walked through the halls of the Royal Palace. She had decided to cut her lessons short as Guru Pathik was just plain getting on her nerves. She wanted to immediately tackle learning how to master her Dark Avatar State, but no – that old man wanted her to meditate.

"AND THOSE RIDDLES OF HIS JUST KEEP BOUNCING AROUND MY SKULL! HE SOUNDS JUST LIKE UNCLE!"

She let out a screech of frustration, and a ball of fire shot out of her mouth. Panting, the Princess decided she needed to blow off some steam before going back and listening to that crazy guru and his crazy proverbs.

She took a swig of onion-banana juice from her a small flask. She had actually grown a taste for it now, and when Guru Pathik wasn't looking, she swiped some of his and poured it into a small flask.

She wiped her mouth. "Ah, that's better."

That's when she walked right into somebody.

_"Would you watch where you're going,"_ the Princess hissed.

"Watch where _you're_ going, dummy!"

"How dare you address your Princess like that? When I-." She peered down and saw a little girl. The same little girl that had been haunting her these past few days.

Malu looked up at the Princess with wide-eyed curiosity, a rubber ball gripped firmly in her hands.

Azula placed her fists on her hips. "Let me guess – you want to play ball with me?"

Malu nodded. "Yea. Playing ball might help you not to be such a meanie!"

Azula's eye twitched. "No thanks, kid. Now why don't you just run along before I call the guards?"

"Well, if you're _scared_," Malu teased.

Now both of Azula's eyes were twitching. "Scared? How dare you suggest such a thing? Me, Azula, Princess of the Fire Nation and Dark Avatar – scared to play ball with a little girl?"

Malu shrugged. "I can understand – you don't want me to whoop your butt."

Now the corner of Azula's mouth was twitching.

"_Fine! _You're on, kid! And when I beat you, I expect you to leave me alone – for good!"

Malu could not contain her giddiness. "Yay! But just you wait – when _I_ win, you have to be my friend!"

As Azula followed the rambunctious child outside, a playful smile appeared on her face. _Perhaps this isn't such a bad idea after all…_

…

For fifteen minutes straight, Azula and Malu played a form of kickball in the courtyard. The guards, along with Guru Pathik, watched with mild interest.

Malu was much faster than Azula would have thought. _The little squirt's actually beating me_, she thought as the girl rounded third base (which happened to be the fountain).

But Azula was not about to let that happen. Malu had already scored fourteen home ones – one more and she would win the game.

Azula had the ball in hand. She clearly saw Malu heading for home base again. _Not this time._ Taking aim with her cold precision, she spiked the ball as hard as she could. It struck Malu in the side with a loud _THUD_!

The Princess jeered, and jumped into the air. "Oh yeah! Guess that means I win for all time!" She began doing a small dance, wanting to rub her victory in as much as possible. She was expecting some sassy comeback from the child, but there was non forthcoming.

Instead she heard sniffling and whimpering.

Malu was hunched over, holding her side where the ball had struck her. Apparently, Azula had thrown the ball harder than she thought, and had hurt the little girl.

Guru Pathik was there instantly, comforting the distressed child. He shot Azula a chiding look, before he offered the little girl some onion-banana juice. Malu tasted it, was disgusted by it, but ultimately drank it all down.

Azula stood there, not quite sure what to say. "It's not my fault," she explained to the guards who she noticed were muttering among themselves.

"That was a cheap shot," one of the guards said. "Against such a little girl…" He shook his head.

"Well who asked you anyway?"

She made her way over to Pathik and Malu and pushed the guru aside; Malu flinched as Azula towered over her. "Listen, kid … sorry about that. Just got carried away."

Malu sniffled again, wiping her eyes. "I … I want my mommy."

Those words struck a chord in Azula's stomach – a chord she didn't even know she had.

Malu looked up at her with reddened eyes. "Mommy … makes everything better."

"Well I don't know where your mommy is," Azula spat irritably. "And even if I did, I'm not going to trek across the world because you have a booboo."

"I would do it for you if you wanted your mommy!"

The Princess sharp fingernails dug into her palms. "It wouldn't matter if I did! My own mother thinks I'm a monster! How would she comfort me?"

Malu began calming down a bit. In fact, she was starting to become indignant. "Mommy's don't think their kids are monsters!"

"Well mine does!"

Malu shook her head. "No! Mommy's love their kids!"

Azula rolled her eyes. "Not mine."

"And why not? Maybe if you weren't such a meanie, your mommy would love you!"

"If I'm such a meanie, why do want to be friends with me?"

Malu was hiccupping. "Because … meanies need friends too…"

…

"Your mother hates me." Mai was helping Zuko put dishes away.

Zuko was genuinely puzzled. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, when I went to introduce myself to her, she was very snippy with me. She called me 'The Girlfriend' as though I were the scum under her feet."

Zuko laughed. "I'm sure that's not true. Trust me, my mom likes you. It's just that she needs some getting used to the whole idea of me dating."

Mai snorted. "Whatever you say, Zuko. All I know is, Jin was in there before me talking to her. I'm sure Jin is trying to turn your mother against me."

"Mai, you really sound like Toph going on about one of her crazy conspiracy theories."

"Whatever, Zuko. If your mom decides she's going to come between us, you need to decide whose side you're on!"

She stormed out of the room.

Zuko was taken aback. "Did … Mai just show some emotion?"

"I know, creepy," Toph was saying as she entered the room.

…

"I can't stand that Mai girl," Ursa was saying as Jin helped prop her up.

"Goodness, neither can I," Jin replied. "She's quite an odd duck … and I hear she's not genuinely in love with Zuko."

Ursa's eyebrows rose up. "She's not?"

"Oh heavens no! She's only interested in his power and money."

Ursa turned an odd sickly green color. "But … doesn't Zuko realize …?"

"Oh no, she has him all wrapped around her little finger. Zuko can't even see straight around her. It's weird. It's like she put him under some kind of a spell."

Ursa shook her head as she lay back on her pillow. "Well I'm glad I can trust you Jin. It's nice to know that _you_ have Zuko's best interests at heart."

"Only," Jin smiled.

Ursa returned the smile. "If only Zuko could end up with a nice girl like you."

"Thank you, ma'am," Jin bowed before leaving. Ursa didn't see the devious little smile working its way up her face.

As Ursa lay in her bed, she began thinking of ways she could separate Zuko from Mai and hook him up with that nice girl, Jin.

…

Aang awoke in the Spirit World. His boots made contact with thick, dirty mud. He realized he was in a bog. Sitting on a rock meditating was the monkey, Enma. The meditating monkey peeped one eye open and groaned.

_"You again? Why can't you just leave me in peace?"_

"I'm not here to talk to you, Enma. In fact, I didn't even mean to come here …" He shrugged. He was in the realm of Koh, the Face Stealer. Perhaps the ancient spirit might have a word of wisdom for him.

Enma closed his eyes again. _"Good. Then go away!"_

Shrugging, Aang made his way through the bog and up a long-winding path leading up to the Face Stealer's tree. He went inside the tree, deep into the cave. As he walked, he noticed this thick, gooey slime on the walls. He bent to touch it, but the slime backed away and hissed – as though it were alive.

Koh surprised him by jumping down from the ceiling. Aang immediately froze his facial features, in the hopes of preventing Koh from taking his face.

_"Ah, so the Avatar returns once again to my humble abode."_

"Koh. I need some advice."

_"Ah, and yet you come to me. There are other spirits you could have called upon. Some that would be of better service to you."_

"I tried contacting Avatar Kyoshi, or some of the other Avatars. Somehow I ended up in your realm."

_"It may be just as well. I have plenty of experience in dealing with past Avatars." _His face changed to that of a baboon.

"I … I don't know if I made the right decision to leave my friends. All along, everyone's been telling me that I have to choose my duty as the Avatar over my attachments. I've begun to see the truth in their words, but I'm still not sure that I made the right decision."

Koh regarded him with an appraising look. _"It is the ultimate duty of each Avatar to ensure balance between the physical and spiritual realms. Attachment gets in the way of that duty – the Avatar must put the universe before himself."_

Aang's eyes were momentarily downcast. He quickly wiped any emotion off his face as Koh spun his head around to look at him.

"So … you're saying I made the right decision?"

_"If you hadn't, it would have been made for you."_

"What do you mean?"

_"What do you think my ultimate role here is, Avatar? To sit around collecting faces all day? No, that is just a hobby. Thousands of years ago, I was appointed overseer of the Avatar – to ensure he properly followed his duty to the world. Call me a devil's advocate if you will. And on certain occasions, when the Avatar fails in his duty, the Spirit World calls upon me to intervene."_

Koh changed his face to a beautiful young woman with dark hair.

Aang instinctively remembered the woman, though how he didn't know how. "Ummi," he muttered.

_"Yes, that's right Aang. The love of your past life. Avatar Kuruk put his love for Ummi before his duty to the world. I had to intervene. I stole her face so that she would no longer stand in the way of his duty. However, rather than accept his lot in life, Avatar Kuruk chose vengeance. He's sworn to spend the rest of eternity hunting me._

_ "Avatar Kuruk was not the first Avatar I've had to do that to … nor was he the last. Avatar Roku decided he would put his relationship with his wife Ta Min first … and look what happened, while he frolicked happily with her. Fire Lord Sozin built up his armies … the war raged for a century … all because Roku chose happiness instead of servitude. I had to intervene in that case. Roku was incorrigible. He had to be killed so that a new Avatar could be chosen … one that _would_ perform his duty to the world."_

"You … you killed Avatar Roku?"

_"I had a hand in it, yes. It was I who caused that volcanic eruption on his island. Thankfully, in his final moments, Roku realized what his duty was as he sacrificed his life to save everyone else on the island. His final, redeeming act."_

Aang's heart was sinking. "So … I must put my duties as Avatar first – and sacrifice my own happiness to do it?"

_"Precisely. Trust me, I know this is difficult for you, Aang. I know you don't want to hear it. But this is the way things must be. The life of an Avatar is not one meant for happiness. As long as you are Avatar, you can never have true happiness…"_

And for the first time, Koh actually showed empathy in one of his stolen faces.

…

It was raining out when Aang returned to his body. He awoke in the tiny temple, the soft pitter-patter of rain circling above. He went outside to check on Appa, who was shivering in the rain.

Aang smiled warmly. _At least I have Appa and Momo._

He beckoned towards the bison. "Come out of the rain, Appa. Come on, buddy."

The bison squeezed inside, shaking his wet, shaggy fur. "We'll leave as soon as the rain stops," Aang mentioned. "We need to move double-time, especially if we're to get to the Fire Nation in time to defeat Azula."

He stood in the open doorway, watching the sad, dull gray outside. A gust of wind blew something right into his face. He grabbed it, and realized it was a white piece of paper. No. It was a WANTED poster. With his face on it.

Aang crumpled it up, the anger boiling inside of him. He went outside into the rain, feeling the drops cooling his burning skin.

The world was turning against him.

All because he was the Avatar.

"Why did you choose me," he growled hopelessly.

Being the Avatar had caused him nothing but pain. Now it meant that he would have to spend the rest of his life in loneliness, without his friends, without his family … without Katara.

His heart shuddered. Deep down, he had always known this day would have to come. The day when he would have to say goodbye to Katara – forever.

And all because he was the Avatar.

"Why did you choose me?" His voice was growing louder against the howling wind. Lightning forked against the sky.

"I never wanted to be the Avatar! I just wanted to be normal!" He raised his fist to the heavens as thunder clapped overhead.

"I never wanted any of this! Why must my life be ruined because you Spirits decided I had to be the Avatar?"

And Aang sunk to his knees, eyes lifted up to the blazing sky, cursing the day that the Avatar Spirit had ever chosen him…

…

_ Hey everybody, I apologize again for the long update times. Life's just … hectic. I can't really promise that I'll have the next chapter up sooner, but I will do my best. I will work on it ASAP and try to get it up within the next few weeks. I just wanted to apologize and thank you all for your patience with me._

_ R&R please :)_


	19. Chapter 19: The Pace Quickens

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

…

Book 4:

Air

Chapter nineteen:

The Pace Quickens

…...

_ Aang was kneeling before five Air monks; his head was bowed, and his hands were clasped in front of him. One of the monks leaned forward, and began speaking._

_ Gyatso._

_ "Normally, we would have told you of your identity when you turned sixteen, but there are troubling signs. Storm clouds are gathering."_

_ Another monk spoke. "I fear that war may be upon us, young Avatar."_

_ As he said this, Aang noticed a cold chill wafting through the room. He shuddered, and looked up. Was it becoming darker outside?_

_ The monks didn't seem to notice this peculiar change of weather. Monk Gyatso was speaking once again._

_ "We need you Aang."_

_ His words echoed around the walls._

_ "Need you Aang."_

_ "Need you Aang."_

_ Aang looked up at his mentor._

_ "We need you, Aang." Suddenly Gyatso's face morphed into something gruesome. His eyes glowed with fire, and his face seemed to melt off his head, revealing a hideous monster._

_ "NEED YOU TO CONQUER THE WORLD FOR US!"_

_ And the Gyatso-monster sprang upon him, claws and all, laughing and thrashing, clawing and swearing; Aang was screaming in dread and horror, as the world around him faded into eternity…_

…

Aang bolted upright from his sleeping bag, bathed in a cold sweat, his eyes wide with alarm, his heart racing. He looked around and noticed that he was still in his campsite, surrounded by some gentle fir trees.

He must have been screaming in his sleep, because both Momo and Appa were awake, watching him.

It had been a nightmare – that was all. Just a horrid dream.

But still … the message behind the dream had been real.

"What are you guys looking at," he asked the two animals irritably. He then turned over in his sleeping bag, trying to ignore the hurt looks on both Momo and Appa's faces.

He would get no sleep for the rest of that night.

…

At the first crack of dawn, Aang was out of his sleeping back, packing up the campsite. Both Appa and Momo were feeling harried as the monk quickly tossed sacks up on the bison's saddle.

"Darn. I'm out of water," he mumbled, shaking the last few drops out of his satchel. "I'll be right back," he told the animals without even looking at them.

He came to a small brook, the water gently bubbling along downstream. He leaned over, preparing to fill the satchel with water when he caught sight of his own reflection staring at him from the brook.

Aang recoiled at the sight of his reflection. He had bags under his eyes and they were bloodshot. But that wasn't even the worst. His face … the innocence and joy that people once complimented him on were gone. Instead, the face of a bitter individual was staring back at him.

He growled, and he furiously splashed the water away, dismembering the face in the water. Grumbling to himself as he carried his now-filled satchel away, Aang couldn't help thinking of the story of Avatar Ko-Rei and the parallels between it and his own life…

…

"We only got back together just this week. I can't believe we're parting ways again, Uncle."

Zuko and Iroh were in the kitchen of the White Lotus base packing up food and supplies. Iroh smiled warmly at his nephew.

"It will not be for long, Zuko. I must go with Jeong Jeong, Iggy and the Cabbage Merchant to reunite the Order – as well as recruit some allies. You and your friends cannot face Azula and the Fire Nation alone. You will need as many allies as you can get."

Zuko nodded. "We'll meet you at the Fire Nation, Uncle. Then we'll attack the capital and try to end this war once and for all."

Iroh gripped his nephew in a hug. "You will bring peace back to our land, Nephew. I have full confidence that you will be the leader that we need – the leader your father _should_ have been."

Ursa ambled downstairs, nursing the injuries delivered to her from the Fake Zuko. She was leaning on Jin for support. "How soon can we leave," she asked.

"As soon as possible," Iroh replied, packing up as much food as he could into a basket. "I've chartered a small boat to take you to the Fire Nation. It'll meet you by the Serpent's Pass, take you down the river, out to the ocean and finally to the nearest Fire Nation port. From there you can reach the capital and confront Azula."

"How fast can he get us there," Zuko asked.

"Not to worry, Nephew. The captain is an old friend of mine from the Fire Nation. He may be a little eccentric, but he's a darn fine sailor."

Zuko didn't particularly like the word _eccentric_. He had met some of his uncle's friends in the past and they usually weren't the sanest of the bunch.

His mother's voice immediately cracked him like a whip. "Zuko, don't slouch honey!"

Ursa took a seat in the living room, holding her bandaged side. Katara and Jin helped her into a seat. Her eyes narrowed as Mai entered the room and gave her son a peck on the cheek.

Immediately Ursa decided to interrupt the tender moment between her son and his girlfriend. "Oh, my side! Ow! Oh, it hurts!"

Zuko immediately brushed Mai off and hurried to his mother's side. "Mom, are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine," she answered. "Just still in pain from that wound..."

Zuko took a seat next to his mother, holding his arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry, Mom. I'll stay by your side for as long as you need me."

"Oh, don't baby me, Zuko. I'll be up and about soon enough. I have an idea! Why don't you help pack a few of my things?"

"Of course, Mom." He stood up and began to head upstairs.

"Oh, and Jin, why don't you help him?"

"Certainly." With a look of giddiness on her face, Jin hurried upstairs to join Zuko.

From across the room, Mai's eyes were narrowed, and her lips were pursed so thin that they might as well have been invisible.

Ursa shifted in her seat. "Oh, let me use the ladies room." She stood up, still nursing her side and left the living room. Instead of heading for the bathroom, she immediately took a right and went up the stairs towards her bedroom.

Zuko and Jin were silently packing Ursa's Blue Spirit costume as well as her broadswords into a trunk. She stood just to the side of the doorframe so as not to be seen. With a little giggle, Ursa closed the bedroom door on them and locked it from the outside.

"Hey, what's going on," Zuko asked from inside the room. The doorknob twisted furiously.

"Hey, it's locked!"

"Oh no, what are we going to do," came Jin's voice with an unmistakable hint of pleasure.

Grinning from ear to ear, Ursa began to tiptoe away. Her plan to break up Zuko and Mai and hook him up with Jin was now in motion.

…

"Concentrate. Concentrate."

Sweat ran down the Princess' cheek as she struggled with her all might. Her eyelids were pressed tightly, and her fingernails were clenched sharply against her palm.

Guru Pathik watched halfheartedly as the Princess struggled to enter into the Dark Avatar State.

A fierce wind began berating them, and the grass in the courtyard bowed low against it. Electricity began lashing from Azula's body and she slowly began levitating a few feet off the ground. A blackish glow began emanating from her eyes and open mouth and a sphere of air began encircling her.

Then, just when she was about twelve feet in the air, the wind subsided, as well as the air sphere and the dark glow. Azula fell flat on her face at the guru's feet.

Pathik took another sip of onion-banana juice. "Darn. You almost had it that time." His voice dripped with fake enthusiasm.

Azula forced herself up onto her knees and pounded the ground with her fists. "I was _so_ close!" She opened her mouth and let out a yell. As she did so, a jet of blue fire spat from her jaws, terminating an inch from Pathik's face.

The guru didn't even flinch.

Azula was looking at her hands, her eyes livid with frustration. "Why can't I master it? I've never had this much difficulty before! I've done everything right! I focused, I applied myself, I settled for nothing less than perfection – _so why can't I get it_?"

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Princess. Perhaps this is just one thing that you're not good at…"

Azula's eye twitched. _"What?"_

Pathik shrugged. "Perhaps her Highness would like a break?"

"No breaks!" Spittle flew from her mouth. "We'll stay here day and night if we have to! Until I learn how to master the Dark Avatar State!"

The guru shook his head. "We have very nearly managed to close your chakras … now to enter the Dark Avatar State willingly; you must channel your anger. Focus on something or someone that angers you."

"I've been trying! So far, I've thought about the Avatar, my idiot brother, Mai and Ty Lee, that stupid water peasant … who else could possibly anger me more?"

"Think hard. Perhaps someone who hurt you in the past…"

"_Bah_, no one ever hurt me. I'm not capable of being hurt." She folded her arms arrogantly.

"Are you sure? A betrayal from the past, perhaps?"

"Anyone who betrayed me was immediately turned into a pile of flaming rubble." She smiled cruelly.

"A family member?"

"Humph, Zuko angers me, but not enough to drive me into the Dark Avatar State. Father could never raise my ire. And Uncle Iroh annoys me to be sure, but not enough to really drive me into a fury…"

She tapped her chin thoughtfully. _Who else could anger me to such a great extent…?_

After a few moments, Azula snapped her fingers. "I have it! I know just the person!"

Pathik nodded. "Good. Then let's try it again. Though, don't expect to get it the first time. We might be here for a few hours."

"I'll be here all day if I have to." She frowned as she closed her eyes, focusing her anger on just one person in particular.

_Mother._

…

Iroh led the way for the rest of the group outside Ba Sing Se. The city was still recuperating from the battle the other day and black smoke continued to spiral upward.

"Not too much farther," Iroh commented as they walked. "The river is just outside the city. My friend will meet you there."

"I'm glad to be getting out of this city," Toph commented as they walked hurriedly. She was suddenly apprehensive. "But I'm _not_ glad to be getting on a boat! Isn't there any other way to get to the Fire Nation?"

"Sorry, Toph," replied Iroh. "Boat's the only way."

"I was afraid you'd say that." She lowered her head to the ground. "Well feet, prepare not to touch solid ground for a while. Oh and by the way, when I get seasick, someone's gonna have to help clean it up."

"Not it," everyone chorused at once – except for Sokka.

"Darn it," he moaned.

Ursa, meanwhile, was nudging Jin to get closer to Zuko as they walked. Mai seemed to notice, so she immediately snuggled closer to Zuko, intertwining her fingers with his own and brushing her lips against his cheek.

"You're unusually affectionate today," he commented.

"Yea, well, you know, it must be the air."

Zuko beamed that his girlfriend was becoming more and more comfortable with public displays of affection.

Mai's eyes narrowed to slits as she glared at Jin a few feet away.

"Ah, here we are at last," Iroh exclaimed as they reached a small harbor. A dilapidated boat sat in the water, bobbing around. It was a reasonable boat, able to accommodate them all, but frankly, Zuko honestly doubted it was seaworthy.

He just hoped looks were deceiving.

"Hello there," Iroh yelled out.

From aboard the boat, they heard scrambling, and the sound of things clanging. Immediately a man appeared, leaning over the railing. "Ahoy there, Iroh!"

"Hello Dock … or is it Xu today?"

"Oh, it's Dock. Xu and Bushi are downstairs."

Sokka, Katara and Toph simultaneously facepalmed. "Not him," Toph moaned. "Anybody but him!"

They had met "Dock" a couple months ago during the whole Painted Lady fiasco. The man was honestly one of the nuttiest people they'd ever met. He had a penchant for pretending to be different people. It had driven all of them, particularly Aang, up a wall.

Dock was still talking with Iroh. "Bushi's busy, but I can see if Xu wants to say hi!"

He disappeared below the railing and reappeared a few seconds later wearing a different hat. "Hi Iroh, Xu here!"

Iroh roared with laughter. "I love how you do that!"

Dock/Xu seemed genuinely puzzled. "Do what?"

Toph shook her head. "This is going to be a _long_ trip…"

With hesitation, the group boarded the boat. Zuko lingered behind to say goodbye to his uncle.

"I don't know how long it'll be before we see each other again, Uncle."

"Not long, Nephew. I'll gather the White Lotus, the Kyoshi Warriors and whoever else we might need. Then we'll meet you at the Fire Nation."

The two stood there awkwardly for a second, before Zuko threw his arms around his uncle. "Be safe," he whispered into the old man's ear.

Small tears appeared in the corner of Iroh's eyes. "You too, Nephew. Now go and bring peace back to the world."

Zuko gave his uncle one last lingering look, then with hesitation, he boarded the boat.

"Xu" was ecstatic. "Let me go see if Bushi's preparing dinner!" He ran into a room, and then reemerged with a different hat. "Okay, Bushi here! Dinner is almost ready! Come on, the places are already set! Let me just go see if Dock is ready to depart!"

Again he ran into the room, reemerging with a different hat. "Dock here! Everything's primed and ready to go! Full steam ahead!"

…

Aang could feel his stomach grumbling as he flew through the air. He nibbled on some leechie nuts, but his supply was running low. "Might as well stop and get some grub, huh buddy?" He rubbed Appa's head gently. Appa enjoyed it, but the bison noticed it wasn't with the same usual affection he was used to.

Aang landed the bison at the nearest town. He could already tell that he was reaching the western edge of the Earth Kingdom. Just a couple days flying over the ocean and he'd be in the Fire Nation.

Then he'd have to find a way to stop Azula without killing her.

Or perhaps …

Perhaps killing her _was_ the only way…

He shook the thought out of his head. There was no way he would kill Azula.

But what if it was the only way? He had already sacrificed his love for Katara for the world. Perhaps he would have to sacrifice his own values as well.

A forceful thought entered his mind. Those values were taught to him by Monk Gyatso – yet Gyatso was secretly using him to conquer the world. So perhaps … those values were false. Blinders, to keep him from seeing the truth about his mentor.

He clenched his fists.

The first thing he noticed was the WANTED posters with his picture. Grumbling to himself, he reached into Appa's saddle and pulled a cloak and a hood over his head, so no one would recognize him.

"Stay here, buddies," he told Momo and Appa. The two animals pined. "I know you want to come, but you have to stay outside the town. We can't risk anyone recognizing you. The last thing I need is people trying to collect a bounty on my head and it coming down to a fight."

He stroked Appa's great head and gave Momo a little tickle behind the ears, before turning and entering into the town. He picked up supplies and food for his journey from a vendor, when he noticed a small tavern. He had originally planned on eating some of the food he bought from the vendor, but the appetizing smell of a home cooked meal from the tavern was too tempting.

The monk entered the noisy tavern, and noticed men playing Pai Sho, other men arm-wrestling, while a young couple kissed passionately in a corner.

The sight of the couple sent a _pang_ through Aang's chest and he felt a surge of anger. Why were other people entitled to love and happiness, but not him? He stood there, lamenting over what he could never have, before a waitress led him to a small table in the corner.

"Would you like someone to take your cloak," she asked pleasantly.

Aang pulled the hood further over his face. "No."

"Okay, I'll be right back with your drink."

Aang fidgeted in his seat, drumming his fingers atop the wooden surface of the table. So far, so good. No one recognized him. He would eat quickly and get out before anyone identified him.

"Aang!"

Too late.

A girl roughly his age ran up to the table and gripped him in a tight hug.

Aang quickly shushed her and pointed at her to hurry up and take a seat. "Not to be rude, but do I know you?"

"How could you forget me," she asked slightly hurt. "Come on, have a guess now. Who am I?"

"I really don't know."

"I'll give you a hint. It begins with M and rhymes with 'Feng'."

Aang sat there, thinking it over before finally bursting out, "Meng!"

Aunt Wu's young assistant beamed.

"I can't believe it," Aang commented. "You look so different!" Meng had indeed grown since he last saw her. Her hair no longer stood out in pigtails, her lisp was gone … Aang couldn't help noticing the curves in her body … he quickly shoved that thought away.

"Well, it's been almost a year since we saw each other. You look different too!"

Aang shushed her again. "Listen, talk quieter. I'm trying to keep my identity secret."

"Oh, I see. I was just so excited to see you. I was worried that I would never see you again…" Her cheeks blushed in a way Aang thought was adorable.

Katara's angry face floated around his mind.

"So where are Katara and Sokka," Meng asked.

Aang bit his lip. "Look, I'd rather not discuss it. Some … well, some pretty messed up stuff happened and now I'm traveling alone."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." Aang was pleased to hear the genuine sorrow in her tone.

"But what about you," he asked. "What are you doing out here?"

"Aunt Wu's looking for other people who have the gift of foresight to take as apprentices. So she sent me across the Earth Kingdom to find such people."

"I thought you were her apprentice?"

"Me? Oh no, I'm just her assistant. I have a hard enough time foreseeing rain on a cloudy day."

There was a lull in the conversation. Aang noticed the couple in the corner kissing more passionately than ever and his face was downcast. Meng followed his line of sight and quickly deciphered his emotions.

"You really miss her, don't you?"

"Miss who?"

"Katara."

Aang remained silent.

"Listen, no matter how bad you may have blown it, there's always room for second chances."

The monk shook his head. "You don't understand. I didn't just blow it. I took it outside, shot it with arrows and kicked it while it was down."

Meng tilted her head. "It can't be all that bad."

"It's worse."

"But you love her, don't you?"

Aang pursed his lips and remained silent.

"Don't you love her, Aang?"

Aang shrugged off the question, feeling the hurt in his chest being magnified. Instead, he leaned around Meng and yelled at the kissing couple. "Hey, you guys! Get a room!"

The couple gave him a shocked look, before running off together, throwing the Avatar dirty looks.

"Wow, that was rude," Meng commented.

"Sorry," Aang answered. "It's just … you brought up a sore spot, that's all."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't want to cause you discomfort, but maybe you would feel better if you talked about it."

Aang crossed his arms. "Doubtful."

"Well I think it'll help, so we're going to talk about it anyway. So I ask you again – do you love Katara?"

Aang continued to be obstinate. He folded his arms and pursed his lips.

"Do you love Katara?"

Aang could feel his resolve weakening.

"It's a simple question: Do you love Katara?"

A moment's pause.

Finally…

"Yes! Yes I love Katara! How could I not? She's amazing, kind, compassionate, fiery – who _wouldn't _love her?" He panted.

Meng seemed pleased. "There, that wasn't so hard, was it? But if you love Katara, why can't you be with her?"

Aang's voice sank. "Because I'm the Avatar…"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"The Avatar is not supposed to fall in love."

Meng regarded him with compassion in her eyes. "The Avatar is supposed to be the protector of the world."

"And that's _why_ I can't love. The Avatar has to put his duty to the world before himself!"

"But in order to protect the world, love is necessary. Love is unconditional. Love is a choice one makes. It's more than an emotion – it's the resolve to do anything to protect somebody. The Avatar _has_ to love – or else, how could he protect the world?"

Her words struck a chord within Aang, who sat there, seeming to process them. Meng pressed on. "There was a boy I used to love. And even though he didn't love me the way I loved him, he did love freely and openly. He was such a happy boy, so full of energy and kindness. I wish I could meet him again… Just to see that silly grin, that joyous twinkle in his eyes…"

Aang refused to meet her eyes.

"I – I don't know if he can come back. That boy has experienced such pain and shame … I don't know if anyone can recover from what he's gone through… That twinkle has gone out, and I don't know if he can bring it back. I don't know if that boy can ever come back from the brink."

Meng gently rubbed his hand. "Let's hope for the world's sake, he can." She tossed a few coins on the table, gave him a light kiss on the cheek, and left him sitting there in stunned silence.

…

"I am so hungry!" Sokka groped his stomach, and whined. The gang was crowded in one cramped dining room below deck. Dock appeared in the room. "I think dinner's just about ready. Let's see if Bushi's finished. I'll go get him."

"We know you're the same person," Mai said dully.

Dock looked at her questioningly. "What are you talking about? Are you sure you're not suffering sea-delusion?"

Mai's eye twitched. _"I'll show him delusional," _she said under her breath.

Dock disappeared into the kitchen, reappearing as Bushi, with a plate of food. "Dig in everybody!"

Everyone looked at the food he placed before them. It was a three-headed fish. Everyone except Sokka pushed their plates away in disgust. Sokka immediately dug in and began devouring his food, much to the revulsion of everyone else.

"I think I'm going to be seasick," Zuko commented. Holding his fingers to his lips, he ran upstairs onto the deck.

"Let me go check on him," Mai said, following him outside.

Ursa immediately jabbed Jin with a fork.

"Oww! What'd you do that for?"

"You're blowing your chance," Ursa whispered. "Get up there now!"

"Uh, I'm not feeling so good either," Jin announced to the rest of the table, as she ran up to the deck.

"Well with this food, who wouldn't feel sick," Katara asked.

"I find it rather exotic," Sokka answered, as he gnawed on a fish bone, spraying flecks of fish guts on his sister's clothes.

"You are a pig," Katara spat, getting up in frustration.

"A pig that knows fine cuisine." He leaned towards the old seafarer. "Hey Dock, you got any more of this?"

"Oh, I'm not Dock, I'm Bushi."

"Whatever, do you have anymore?"

"Let me go see if Xu has extra."

…

Mai patted Zuko's back as he heaved over the edge of the railing. He wiped his mouth, and looked up at the setting sun. Finally, he looked at his girlfriend. "I'm worried about what's going to happen when we reach the Fire Nation."

"We'll take down Azula," she replied blandly.

"No. I'm worried what's going to happen when Azula sees my mother. You know how Azula's mind works. She's twisted everything that happened between her and Mom. In her mind, Mom thinks she's a monster."

"So what do you care?"

"Think about it. Mom suddenly reappears with Azula already in a fragile mental state. Azula will go wild! She might go out of her way just to kill Mom – that's how much she thinks Mom hates her."

"Do you really think Azula would kill her own mother?"

Zuko looked at Mai with a cold stare.

"You're right, stupid question," Mai answered.

It was at that point that Jin appeared on deck, followed by Ursa. Zuko suddenly had a wild idea. "Hey Mom, why don't you show Mai some fighting moves below deck? I'd bet she'd love to learn how to fight with broadswords!"

Mai leaned into her boyfriend's ear. _"Zuko, I really don't think -."_

"Come on," he interrupted. "This will be a perfect way for Mom to get to know you better."

Ursa hesitated. "Sure, why not," she said finally. "I'd love to take Mai below deck." She motioned for Mai to follow her downstairs. As they left, Ursa gave Jin a little wink.

Taking the hint, Jin moved in closer to Zuko now that they were alone. Jin was twirling her hair between her thumb and forefinger. "Hey," she said slowly.

"Hey," Zuko answered, watching the sunset.

"Feeling better?"

"For now. I think I'll be fine as long as I don't eat any of that three headed fish."

Jin giggled, before moving closer. "Your mother didn't seem to keen on hanging out with Mai."

"Mom's been away for a long time. A lot has changed, and I'm not too sure that she knows how to handle the fact that I have a girlfriend."

"Perhaps it's Mai that's the problem."

Zuko's head swiveled around. "What do you mean?"

"What if your mother just doesn't like Mai?"

Zuko processed that last statement. "Are you kidding? My mother _loves_ Mai!" He found himself not believing his own words.

Jin's hands were on her hips. "Really? Then why are they arguing right now?"

Sure enough, Zuko heard raised voices coming from below deck. Leaving Jin standing by the railing, he hurtled down the stairs towards the room his mother shared with Katara and Toph.

Mai and Ursa were in each other's faces, both shouting at the top of their lungs. Zuko quickly separated the two. "What's going on here?"

"Your mother is _impossible_," Mai growled, before stalking out of the room.

Ursa immediately burst into tears, and Zuko calmly soothed his mother.

_"I just want what's best for you," _she sobbed into his arms. _"And that girl is psychotic! She's just not right for you!"_

Zuko patted his mother on the shoulder. "You just don't know her well enough, Mom. Sure, she can be a little rough around the edges, but once you get to her core – she's a really beautiful person."

Ursa sniffled some more. _"If she's so beautiful … why does she make your mother cry?"_

…

Aang rode Appa deep over the crystalline ocean. It would be a few days trip to the Fire Nation, and Appa knew the general direction, so Aang decided to use the time to meditate in the bison's saddle. His conversation with Meng had left him disconcerted. He would have to re-center himself.

He began meditating, and immediately he found himself within the Spirit World.

…

When Aang awoke, he found himself in a grand hall – it was a large, circular room with a magnificent ceiling. He looked around, and saw the hall covered with horrifying graffiti and violent paintings.

"What is this place?"

There was a woman there, crying. She had her back to him, and she was crying and whimpering sadly. Aang felt as though he ought to comfort her, make her feel better. Aang moved towards the woman, and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "Hey are you okay?"

He heard a moan, something muffled. It sounded like she was trying to say _"Kuruk."_

"Do you need help," he asked again.

The woman spun around and Aang screamed at the sight of her. Her entire face was missing. All that was left was nothing but pure flesh. Aang scrambled away, as the woman struggled to cry with no eyes, and struggled to say the name of her love with no mouth.

Aang backed away, horrified. All around him, other people started appearing. Most had faces, others had faces missing. They were of all different shapes and sizes, different ages, different nations. They all seemed to move around, some praying, others shouting angrily at no one.

Aang didn't know which way to turn as he was jostled, being knocked around by the different people.

Some he recognized from stories he learned from the monks. The first woman, the one missing the face, was Ummi, the wife of Avatar Kuruk, whose face was stolen by Koh. There were also others he recognized.

Shen Leah of from the central Earth Kingdom, Xanatos the Great Liar, who went missing from the Fire Nation, Nataya the Ice Surfer, who went for one final surfing session in the Northern Water Tribe and was never seen again.

But what was going on? These people all existed at one point – until they merely vanished from the moral realm.

He backed up into something solid – it was another person. He turned and looked up and his face turned whiter than ash at the man in Fire Nation regalia. Though his eyes seemed sunken, and his body withered, Aang recognized him immediately.

"Zhao!"

Admiral Zhao had died at the Northern Water Tribe. He was killed by the vengeful Ocean Spirit for his cold-blooded murder of the Moon Spirit. But what was he doing here?

Zhao grinned malevolently down at the monk. _"Avatar. How lovely to see you again!"_

Aang aimed the butt of his staff at his former nemesis. "What do you want, Zhao? Was it you who brought me here? Are you going to try to kill me?"

Zhao waved his hand in a placating motion. _"Calm yourself, Avatar. I have no idea how you got to this part of the Spirit World, nor do I care to see your face again."_

"What is this place?"

Zhao's face fell and became deathly serious. _"This is the place where those who cannot rest in peace go. We are tormented here, in our own minds – our great prison we have constructed for ourselves."_

"But … I thought you would have reincarnated…"

_"Most people usually do. However, the reincarnation cycle can be disrupted. You see, those who are killed by a spirit cannot be reincarnated. We are forced to wander around the Spirit World, forever mourning our fates."_

Aang looked around at all the people crying and moaning. "Isn't there anything that can be done?"

_"Nothing. Surely you don't feel bad for me, Avatar?"_

"No. Of course not, Zhao." But Aang couldn't help but feeling slightly sorry for the former Admiral.

_"But things might be changing. You see, I have learned a great deal from conversing with everybody here. Every time a great celestial event occurs, we can leave the Spirit World and enter the mortal world until the celestial event ends. And can you not think of a coming celestial event within this very week?"_

"The Autumnal Equinox."

_"Very good, Avatar. Once that happens, we spirits will be free to enter the earth. Because the Dark Avatar will increase the disorder in both realms, we will flood your world when it aligns with the Spirit World. Once that happens, I will find a way to regain my mortal body, and vengeance will be mine!"_

"But … if the two worlds merge, and you spirits flood the earth, it'll cause great destruction! The natural order will be destroyed!"

_"That's not our problem, Avatar! We've been here for so long. I can't wait! I _will _avenge myself on you!"_

Aang took a step backwards, running away from the mad Admiral. He pushed his way through all the crying spirits, out the door of the building – and over the edge of a deep chasm.

Aang fell, and landed hard in a pile of mud. He looked up and realized he was in a deep cave.

Koh's cave, once again.

The Face Stealer dropped from the ceiling and faced him. "Koh," Aang said, wiping the emotion off his face. "Why am I here?"

_"I brought you here. I showed you the spirits in that room to impress upon you the gravity of your situation. If the Dark Avatar is not defeated, the world will be destroyed during the Autumnal Equinox. Those spirits will merge into the mortal world. Meanwhile, the power of the Dark Avatar will cause chaos and discord between the two worlds. The mortal world and the Spirit World will destroy each other until there is nothing left."_

"I already knew this, Koh."

_"Then you should know the peril you place the world in! I sense a great deal of conflict within you. You still love that woman, Katara. I feel I must impress upon you the need for you to suppress those feelings. You cannot allow your love for Katara to interfere with your duty to the world."_

Aang nodded. "Perhaps I did need some reminding…"

_"If you do not give up Katara, I might be forced to do something drastic." _ His face changed to that of Ummi's. _"Remember, my role is to ensure that the Avatar maintains his duty to the world. The good of the world must come before your happiness."_

"I understand. And I will keep in mind what you have told me."

Koh's face softened. _"I was once in love, Avatar. Back before I was cursed to this fate. I understand how you feel. It hurts. But if you don't reject Katara, the world could be destroyed."_

Aang nodded. Finally, he said, "I will do whatever it takes to keep the world safe. Even if that includes sacrificing my happiness." _Even if that includes giving up what the monks taught me and killing Azula. By the Spirits, I _will _do my duty and keep this world safe._

_ No matter what the cost._

…

Sokka was lying in a hammock below deck, trying to get some shuteye. He was tired of hearing all the ruckus above. Just more drama between Zuko, Mai, Jin and Ursa. So he came below deck for a nap in order to get some solace.

Toph interrupted by storming into the room and belching loudly in his face. "Whattup, Snoozles?"

"I'm trying to sleep, Toph."

"Well I'm bored and I need someone to bother."

"Go bother Katara."

"She's not nearly as fun as you."

Sokka watched as Toph's hand moved towards Sokka's supplies. Sokka sat up in bed. "Toph, you better not!"

Her fingers danced over his boomerang. "Toph, don't touch that boomerang!"

Her fingertips drew ever closer.

"I swear, if you touch my boomerang…!"

Toph snatched the boomerang up and ran out of the room, grinning.

"You are so dead!" Sokka nearly tangled himself up in his attempt to get out of his hammock, before righting himself and chasing Toph outside on the deck.

Toph ran to the railing and dangled the boomerang over the edge into the sea.

"C'mon Toph," Sokka griped, his voice cracking.

Toph's face had a devious little smirk. "Snoozles, I'll give you your boomerang back, but first you have to put on Mai's makeup."

"C'mon!"

"Do it, Sokka. Show me how pretty you can be!"

"You're just plain evil!"

"And loving it…"

Toph was so intent on messing with Sokka that neither one noticed that the boat had come to a complete stop in the middle of the ocean. Katara and Zuko were immediately on the deck. Dock bolted outside of his cabin. "There's something wrong with the boat! Let me go get Xu!" He bolted back inside, and came back out in a different hat.

Mai, Jin and Ursa came out next. "What's going on," Jin asked sleepily.

From out of the fog, another ship appeared and pulled up alongside them. They recognized the insignia.

"Pirates," Zuko said.

The next thing they knew, an entire crew of pirates were swinging across to their ships, weapons drawn. The captain appeared, an odd reptile-bird perched on his shoulder. Next to him stood a gangly, longhaired pirate with a high pitched voice.

"I recognize these pirates," Sokka announced.

"So do I," Zuko replied.

"These are the pirates I stole the Waterbending scroll from," Katara hissed.

"And they're the ones I hired … to hunt you down." Zuko seemed ashamed to even mention it.

The Captain frowned sinisterly at them. "We thought we recognized ya landlovers. You all owe us a wee bit of a debt. The girl, for that scroll she stole, and the Fire Prince for double-crossing us and making us lose that bounty on the Avatar." He raised his hand, and the pirates drew their weapons.

"Prepare yourselves guys!" Zuko's warning was almost a war cry as the gang was attacked head on by the pirates.

Dock was on his knees, crying in horror as a pirate menaced on him. "But I'm not Dock, my name's Bushi!"

Ursa immediately ran downstairs. When she returned upstairs, she was dressed in her Blue Spirit costume. She tossed one of her swords to Zuko, who used it just in time to parry a blow from the Captain's Jian sword.

Then, just as quickly as they came, the pirates immediately retreated and swung back to their ship, leaving everybody puzzled. "That … that was pretty easy," Sokka remarked.

"Too easy," Zuko remarked. "Look sharp guys. Something's not right here!"

**KABOOM!**

An explosion rattled their ship, nearly hurling everybody over the edge of the railing. "What was that," Mai asked in horror.

"An explosion. Those pirates must have used that attack as a distraction while one of their cronies set up a bomb!"

They hurried below deck, and sure enough, there was a gaping hole in the cargo hold which was filling with water. "We're sinking," Toph shrieked.

"No one panic," Dock calmly stated. "Bushi will know exactly what to do! Let me go get him!"

"Get back up on deck," Zuko ordered.

They rushed back up and saw the pirate ship retreating in the distance. Zuko drummed his fingers impatiently on the metal railings, trying to think of a way out of this particularly pickling situation.

His foot tapped the metal floor of the deck, and that's when it hit him.

Metal.

He whirled around quickly to the blind Earthbender fidgeting next to him. "Toph, do you think you can use your Metalbending to fling us over to the pirate ship?"

"I don't know, Sparkey. It's kind of hard for me to judge the distance being I'm blind and all."

"I'll be your eyes. I'll tell you how high and far to throw us."

Toph sighed. "Okay, I'll give it a try."

…

The Pirate Captain was watching the sinking ship vanishing in the distance when the next thing he knew, he was hearing a girlish scream. Then something hit the deck of his ship with a thud.

"What the-?"

Sokka was on his feet in a flash, his sword in hand.

Suddenly, Mai landed, followed by Jin, Katara and Ursa.

The Captain looked back at the sinking ship in alarm. Somehow, that blind girl learned how to bend metal, and now she was bending the metal floors to fling her friends all the way to their ship.

The Captain looked at the group that had just dropped in. "Attack," he ordered immediately.

…

"I don't want to do it," Dock was saying. "I'm scared of heights!"

"We don't have time for this," an exasperated Zuko exclaimed.

"Bushi's not afraid of heights though. Let me get him." Dock immediately switched hats. "Okay, Bushi here, let's – _arck!_" Toph immediately stamped her foot on the ground and the metal floor shot the seafarer into the air like a cork.

"Your turn, Sparkey." Zuko nodded as Toph stamped the ground. He was flying up, up into the air, feeling the cool wind breezing against his skin. And then he was plummeting down, down, down, landing hard on the deck of the pirate ship where his friends were already engaged in battle.

"And then there was one," Toph said to herself.

Using her Metalbending, she shot herself into the air, flying up, up, up – _SPLASH!_

She had missed the pirate ship completely, falling into the cool ocean water. The water was ice cold and chilled her to the bone.

"Help!" She gurgled as water surged into her mouth. "I can't swim!"

Sokka parried a sword blow from a pirate, before hearing the blind girl's desperate pleas for help. "Toph!"

Abandoning the battle, Sokka leaped overboard to help his friend.

Toph was sinking, down, down below the crashing waves. _Well this is it, _she thought. _The end. Goodbye world…_

A hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her up to the surface, where she gasped for air. "I've got you," Sokka warned. He shifted Toph onto his back, and she slid her arms around his neck. "Hold on tight." And with that, he began paddling back towards the pirate ship.

…

_**CLANG! CLANG!**_

Zuko crossed swords with the Captain again and again. Zuko's broadsword clashed violently with the Captain's Jian sword.

The Captain pressed the attack. "This is for stealing the Avatar from right under me nose, boy! I had 'em! But ya had to just keep interferin'!"

Zuko ducked below the Captain's weapon, bringing his own blade up in a riposte. The two circled, their swords clashing again and again.

Ursa meanwhile, was struggling to hold off two pirates. She was still suffering from the wound given to her by the Fake Zuko, and she struggled to parry a blow. The pirate raised his sword and she was barely able to block his blow. She was forced down on one knee as he forced her slowly back.

Sokka and Toph climbed out of the water, and the Water Tribe boy hauled Toph over onto the deck, before joining her. Immediately surveying what was going on around them, the two nodded at each other before joining the battle.

Meanwhile, two more pirates on the other side of the ship rolled a cannon onto the deck. They filled it with gunpowder, before lighting a match.

_**SWISH!**_

__With a flick of her wrist, both pirates found themselves pinned to the ground with several of Mai's darts.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zuko dueling the captain – and the captain was slowly gaining the advantage. Slowly, the Captain edged his way back into the duel as the aggressor.

With a flick of his Jian sword, he sent Zuko's broadsword spinning out of his hand. He then headbutted the boy, as his reptile-parrot clawed at his face. With a kick to the face, he sent the teenager sprawling on the floor. Zuko's hand lashed out to find the handle of his broadsword, but the Captain kicked it away.

With a deranged smile, the pirate raised his sword, preparing to deliver the final blow.

Suddenly, Mai's shuriken flew through the air, striking the Captain across the forearm. With lightning quick reflexes, Zuko struck out with his legs, sweeping the Captain's feet out from under him.

Both of them scrabbled to their feet, neither of their weapons within reach. With a roar, the Captain threw himself at Zuko, who responded by blasting him back with a jet of flame.

Suddenly, the night skies were darkened as the moon was blocked out. Everyone glanced upward to see half a dozen Fire Nation airships looming over them. Ropes dropped from the airships, and dozens of Imperial Firebenders grappled down onto the pirate ship.

Dressed in her Blue Spirit costume, Ursa scrabbled into the shadows, waiting for an opportune time to strike.

The Pirate Captain grudgingly bowed before the Fire Nation official that landed next to him. "General Ying."

Ying placed his hand on the Captain's shoulder. "Good work, Captain. You distracted them long enough for my forces to get here." He tossed the Captain a sack of coins, before roughly shoving him out of the way.

"I should have known _you_ were behind this, Ying," Zuko spat.

Ying merely snorted. "My agents have been tracking you since you left Ba Sing Se. And now I have you within my grasp. Our little fiasco at Ba Sing Se left me in the Phoenix King's bad graces … however, with your capture, I'm sure I'll get a promotion!"

"This is all just about your personal glory!" Zuko was disgusted. "You don't even care that the world is going to be destroyed!"

Here Ying cackled. "Oh please – as if I believe in such fairy tales!" His face turned deadly. "But enough talk. You will all surrender into my custody, or be destroyed."

Sokka raised his sword. "Bring it!"

Ying laughed again. "Foolish boy. My forces more than outnumber you! Now I repeat, surrender, or be destroyed!"

The Imperial Firebenders raised their fists, and up above, the airships moved into attack formation.

Sokka twirled his sword and moved into a battle stance, Toph cracked her knuckles, Katara withdrew her water from her satchel, and Mai slid some darts from her sleeve into her palm. Dock and Jin looked horrified, unsure of what to do.

Zuko, however, raised his hand for them to stop. "Wait! We surrender!"

His friends all looked at him and with one voice said, "What?"

"Trust me," he said, quietly, so that Ying couldn't overhear. "If we surrender, we'll be taken right into the Fire Nation – right into the royal palace. No doubt my Father will want to personally execute us. There we can face Azula and end this."

"One problem you haven't seemed to notice," Toph drawled. "We'll be prisoners. How do you expect us to break free?"

"Someone will have to bust us out." And with that, Zuko looked into the shadows where he saw his mother dressed as the Blue Spirit. Ursa gave her son a thumbs-up and nodded.

Zuko nodded back. He then turned to Ying, cleared his throat and said, "We accept your terms, Ying. We surrender."

Ying seemed genuinely surprised. He had at least been expecting a fight, but this was _too _easy. Not that he minded. It just would have been more interesting. With a smile, he signaled to his soldiers, who moved and brought Zuko and his gang into custody.

The Blue Spirit continued to watch from the shadows. Ursa would commandeer this pirate ship, drive it straight into the Fire Nation – and there she would rescue her son and his friends.

…

It was raining in the Fire Nation that night. Lightning forked around the capital, and winds berated the buildings.

Guru Pathik stood solemnly in the rain. He secretly wished a bolt of lightning would strike him.

He immediately pushed that thought out of his head. He would be of no use to the world or the Avatar dead. So, he continued to go along with this charade; teaching the Dark Avatar to master her Dark Avatar State.

He only hoped Avatar Aang would be able to forgive him one day.

If they all got through this alive, that was.

Azula was deep in concentration, focusing all her anger and hate on her mother. She remembered how Ursa favored Zuko over her, how she always chastised Azula for doing nothing.

She clenched her fists as she remembered the night Ursa left home.

The night Ursa left _her_.

The rage grew, like a demonic animal sprawling tendrils throughout her stomach.

Pathik's eyes widened, as Azula's chi suddenly surged. "I-impossible," he breathed.

Azula was surrounded by a sphere of air, and black light poured out of her eyes and mouth. She rose into the air, wind blowing all around her. Lightning forked from the sky into her body … she absorbed it, allowing the force to emanate through her body.

Her chi was still rising.

She let out a fierce wail, which leveled a nearby building.

Her chi had risen higher than anyone Pathik knew.

And Azula was just getting started.

She was no longer just a human. Her power transcended what a person, even an Avatar, ought to be capable of.

No, Azula was something else.

Azula was a force.

A violent force of nature that could not be stopped or reasoned with. A destructive force, much like a hurricane or a tornado.

Azula was no longer human. Pathik knew that now. The Dark Avatar Spirit would continue to consume her soul until nothing was left but an empty husk.

Out of the corner of his eye, the guru noticed a little girl standing in a corner, watching sadly.

And from a balcony above, Ozai watched as his daughter became his ultimate weapon.

Azula had finally mastered the Dark Avatar State…

…


	20. Chapter 20: The Crucible

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

…

Book 4:

Air

Chapter twenty:

The Crucible

…

~0~

"_Airbenders mate for life, Aang. When an Airbender finds his mate, a spectacular thing happens. Can you guess?_

…

"_When an Airbender finds his mate, he imprints his part of his soul upon them. They literally become soul mates. They __**must**__ be together. It is unnatural, once the imprinting occurs, for the one to reject the other. A split in the Airbender's own soul occurs … it turns him into something he was never meant to be…_

~0~

…

"Hurry up!"

The Imperial Firebender gave Mai a small shove in the back. She glared daggers at him, before Zuko gave her a look of warning.

_"Not yet," _he whispered.

Giving her boyfriend a grudging look, Mai merely nodded and picked up the pace.

They had arrived at the Fire Nation capital that morning via a fleet of airships. They had disembarked, and now Zuko, Mai, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Jin, and Dock were being marched by a large number of Imperial Firebenders towards the Royal Palace.

The capital, built within a dormant volcano, was usually a bustling place, especially after Zuko had taken the throne a few months ago. He was quite displeased to see that it had become far more militant than ever under his father's rule.

Ying, who was walking behind the teenager, seemed to notice Zuko's train of thought. "Discipline," he said. "That's what this nation lacked under your rule. That's what led to your downfall. The people here need tight rules and strict discipline … something your father knows how to deliver perfectly well." His eyes gleamed at Zuko's scar. The teenager turned his face away, his face burning at the general's taunts.

Toph, meanwhile, was engaged in a quiet conversation with Katara and Sokka. Their voices were low, so that the Firebenders marching them towards the palace couldn't hear. _"What's Zuko's deal," _the Earthbender asked. _"We could break free and take these guys … why are we waiting?"_

_ "Because it makes perfect strategic sense," _answered Sokka. _"We get into the enemies lair, and then BANG! We breakout and take the bad guys! Ying is taking us right to the Royal Palace – Azula will be there, no doubt."_

Realization dawned across Toph's face. _"I see. He'll take us right to Azula and then we get her!" _The corners of her lips fluttered with excitement.

Jin and Dock didn't seem too thrilled. Jin was quiet and walked with her head down. Dock, on the other hand, couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"But I'm not the one you want! My brother Bushi is the one who stole that boar-cue-pine, not me!"

Zuko's mind was elsewhere as they approached the palace. _Wherever you are, please be safe, Mom._

…

Ursa glared ahead steadfastly as she gripped the steering wheel of the pirate's ship. She had hidden in the shadows as Ying arrived and captured her son and his friends. After Ying left with his fleet of airships, the pirates were bent on returning to the Earth Kingdom.

Ursa had other plans.

So now the entire pirate crew was unconscious and tied up in the brig of the ship. Despite her injuries, it had been relatively easy for her launch a surprise attack on them and overpower them.

Pirates may be tough, but they were no match for Ursa's cunning.

She steered through the deep ocean waters. "Hurry up, you pile of rubble – move! MOVE!"

She was running out of time. She could only hope that she wouldn't be too late…

…

"You are all hereby charged with sedition and treason against His Great Majesty, Phoenix King Ozai. How do you all plead?"

"Not guilty," Toph piped up.

The group of them stood in a large amphitheater in the Royal Palace. Ying sat at a large podium as he put them on trial. On the side of the room sat a twelve person jury. The jury was made up of several Dai Li agents, two Imperial Firebenders, a Fire Nation official, Long Feng and Pythos.

Somehow Zuko didn't get the feeling that this was going to be a fair or unbiased trial. In fact, it was more of a mock trial to satisfy Ying's inflated ego.

But where was Azula? Surely she would love to be here, to mock and taunt her brother.

"Let's hurry this up," a grumpy Long Feng declared. "I have a hair appointment later."

"Yesss," Pythos concurred. "We have no need of evidence. Let's get to the ssssentencing!"

Ying smiled banally. "Very well. How does the jury find the defendants?"

Sokka's voice cracked. "Wait! You can't just ask for a verdict! You haven't presented any evidence yet!"

Pythos stood up. "We the jury find the defendants – guilty!"

Ying's grin spread across his face. "Very well. You are all sentenced to be executed – immediately!"

Sokka looked over at Zuko. "Hey buddy, I'm thinking now's the time to bust out of here?"

"Not without finding Azula!"

Imperial Firebenders menaced on them. The gang was ready to fight, but they were looking to Zuko for instructions. He had warned them that they were not to make any moves until they discovered where Azula was.

But now the guards were advancing. Surely they would have to fight now?

…

**KABOOM!**

…

An explosion rocked the amphitheater, throwing everyone off their feet. Zuko looked up expectantly. "Mom?"

But no, it wasn't his mother.

As the smoke cleared, everyone in the room watched as a bald monk entered the room.

"Aang?"

Katara was the first one to speak. She stood up, incredulous at the Airbender who was entering the room. Momo circled above, before alighting on Sokka's shoulder, giving him a slobbery kiss on the cheek.

"Aaw, lemur germs!"

Aang couldn't allow himself to make eye contact with anyone there. "Hey guys," he said drearily.

No one said a word.

Except of course for Ying, who was busy giving orders to the Dai Li. "Attack the Avatar! Attack! Attack!" And with that, the general backed out of the room, followed quickly by Long Feng and Pythos.

"No time for unhappy reunions now," Toph called. "Look out!"

She ducked as a piece of rock flew past her head. The Dai Li jury was swarming them, their numbers increased by Imperial Firebenders who entered the room.

The battle was joined. "Ying," Zuko screamed. "We have to follow Ying! He can tell us where Azula is!"

Aang nodded, as he blasted a Dai Li into the wall. Katara noticed that Aang's fighting style seemed to be more aggressive and brutal than she remembered. Had everything that happened recently affected him that much?

"I'll find him," the Avatar answered.

"Not alone you're not," Katara replied, dodging a stray fleck of flame. "Supposing you came across Azula in the meantime – you're not going alone."

Aang wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea of Katara coming with him. He needed to separate himself from her, sever the emotional connection he felt with her. But still … he knew better than to argue with her. Once Katara made her mind up, it was impossible to change it.

"Fine."

"And I'm with you too," Zuko piped up. He twisted a Dai Li agent's arm, flipping him unto his back. "I have an extra score to settle with Azula."

"We'll keep everyone else busy," Toph shouted above the battle. "We'll do our best to keep the Dai Li and the Royal Guards off your backs!"

And with that, Aang, albeit uncomfortably, consented to allow Katara and Zuko to help him find and battle Azula.

He only hoped he was up to the task.

…

The trio rushed through the corridors of the palace, fighting through waves of Imperial Firebenders who tried to slow them down. Aang blasted through them with a gust of wind as though they were mere strips of paper. They rounded a corner, where Aang blew the legs out from beneath a guard, allowing Katara to the blast him up against a wall with a jet of water. With simple hand motions, she froze the guard in a block of ice.

Aang looked him deep in the eyes. "Where is Azula?"

The guard stammered. "I-I don't know! I haven't seen the Princess since this morning!"

"You're lying," Aang said calmly. "Tell me where she is!"

"I'm telling you the truth!"

Aang's fist tightened around his staff. They didn't have time for this…

"I think he _is_ telling the truth Aang." The Avatar's head swiveled around to look at the Waterbender. Katara took a deep breath. "We just have to keep searching. If we can't find Azula, then I'm sure Ying can tell us where she is."

The frozen guard suddenly found his voice again. "General Ying! He's in the war room! If you hurry you might be able to catch him!"

"The war room, then," Zuko said. "We'll find Ying and make him tell us where Azula is!"

Aang nodded, before they set off again.

Katara noticed that Aang was deliberately trying to keep his distance from her. He hadn't made eye contact with her from the moment he arrived, and anytime she got too close to him, she noticed he quickened his pace.

Katara was still reeling from the shock of seeing Aang return, though she supposed she shouldn't have been too surprised. Aang left them in Ba Sing Se, believing that he was supposed to face Azula alone. She was glad at least that he arrived when he did – that way, he wouldn't have to fight her by himself.

However, she wasn't glad about his running away. Deep down, she was hurt that he would just leave her and everyone else behind. She could understand his reasoning, even if it was somewhat twisted.

But how could he just walk out on her like that?

Aang continued to remain silent during their trip to the war room. Zuko was leading the way, knowing the Royal Palace like the back of his hand. Zuko was also feeling awkward about Aang's return, not quite sure of how to take it.

Katara managed to edge her way closer to Aang. "Hey, listen …" He jumped at the sound of her voice. He inclined his head in her direction, but his eyes wouldn't meet hers. Instead, his eyes trailed to the ground, focused on her feet. He couldn't bear to look in her face.

The Waterbender cleared her throat and bit her lip, unsure of how to proceed. "I … I'm really glad you came back."

"Thanks." His response was throaty, and half-hearted.

"Aren't you glad to see me again?"

"I suppose."

Katara was becoming frustrated at his curt replies. "Listen Aang, if you're still upset over what happened in Ba Sing Se – there's no reason to be! I already explained to you that it was the Fake Zuko. There's no way I would ever kiss the _real_ Zuko!"

Up ahead, the real Zuko visibly stirred. "No offense," was Katara's immediate reply.

"It's not that," Aang answered. "It's just … the Avatar isn't supposed to ... look, can we just focus on the task at hand right now? Can't we talk later?"

"With all due respect, I'd rather you guys talk about it private," called Zuko over his shoulder. "I don't want to get involved in your relationship … besides, the war room is just around this corner."

Katara and Aang both shut up immediately as Zuko stood before a great door. His father or Azula could very well be on the other side. After a moment's hesitation, he gingerly pushed the heavy doors open.

And then they were inside. Flames roared behind the throne at the far end of the room … but it was vacant. No sign of Ozai or Azula. They were all alone.

Or so they thought.

They jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding the jet of flame that whizzed past them, leaving a charred spot on the now empty space on the floor.

Zuko looked up at their assailant. "Ying."

The general appeared from behind a column, a smirk moving across his face. He was absentmindedly playing with his beard. "Bravo, Zuko. You're quite the escape artist, though I suspect you could have broken free anytime you wanted during that trial. No doubt you were hoping the Princess would make a grand appearance."

"Stop playing around, Ying!" Zuko's hands were clenched. "We're here to stop Azula once and for all! Tell us where she is!"

Ying feigned surprise and his hands clasped his face. "Oh dear me! Did I forget to mention it? It must have slipped my mind." His lips curled into a sarcastic smile. "Why, the Princess and the Phoenix King left the Fire Nation only this morning!"

Aang could feel his stomach plummeting. "She – she's not here?" _After all that I've gone through just to get here … she's gone?_

Ying savored the moment. "The Princess and the Phoenix King took an entire armada of airships with them. They're going to attack the Earth Kingdom."

Aang's stomach dropped to his ankles. This was just like Sozin's Comet all over again! And the Equinox was only four days away!

"You made a miscalculation, Ying!" It was Zuko's turn to grin. "There's no way my father could take the entire Earth Kingdom – no matter how big his armada is!"

"That's where you're wrong, Fire Lord! First off, the Earth Kingdom won't be expecting an attack. They'll be taken completely by surprise. Secondly, we have our secret weapon. The Princess! As of last night, she was finally able to master her Dark Avatar State! The forces of the Earth Kingdom will fall before her might!"

This was shattering news to them all.

Aang was incredulous. "How could Azula master her Dark Avatar State? There's no one to teach her!"

"Wrong again! We forced a certain little guru to teach her."

_A guru? _"Guru Pathik?"

"Indeed. He was obstinate at first, but the Phoenix King can be _very_ persuasive. We broke his will in only a few hours, and he taught the Princess how to be the ultimate killing machine."

This was too much for Aang to take. His knuckles whitened around his staff, and he aimed the butt of it at the general. "Where is he?" His voice had dropped an octave, and the tone of it sent chills up Katara and Zuko's spine. "Where. Is. He?" His voice dripped with danger, and even Ying seemed to back up a few steps.

"We have him here in the capital. Right now, he's rotting in a prison cell in the capital's security tower. Couldn't have him running off, could we?"

"Release him."

"Excuse me?"

"RELEASE HIM!" Ying suddenly felt himself blown against a large column. His ankles and wrists were suddenly frozen and bound to the column in ice, and the Avatar was in his face instantaneously. Ying looked down to see the butt of his staff pointed at his chest.

"Aang."

Katara's voice reverberated around his mind. Hard as he could, he couldn't ignore it. Instead, it seemed to calm him, as a soothing melody can calm a violent beast. He lowered his staff, closed his eyes, and took a few deep breaths.

"You're coming with us Ying," he said finally, after centering himself. "You're coming with us and you're going to free Guru Pathik."

It was here that Ying's face twisted into an insane grin. "Oh, I don't think so, Avatar." Behind them, Long Feng and Pythos slithered into the room. Ying warmed up his body temperature, and the ice binding him to the column evaporated into a thick steam. He slid to his feet, before regarding the Avatar and his friends insanely.

"You see, there's no way any of you will be leaving the capital alive. Before he left, the Phoenix King set up a way to eliminate you all – permanently!"

"Stop fooling around, Ying!"

The general clucked his tongue. "So impatient, Avatar. You see, the Phoenix King gave the order to have four bombs placed underground, below the capital. All of these bombs are filled to the brim with blasting jelly. I've already given the order. The fuses are lit. In ten minutes they'll go off. This city is built on a dormant volcano – but once they go off, it won't be so dormant anymore! They'll cause this volcano to erupt – the entire capital will be blown to kingdom come – and you along with it!"

Neither Aang, Katara nor Zuko could fathom to depths of evil that Ozai would resort too. Didn't he or Ying understand that they were not just going to be killing them – but they'd be killing all the people in the city? All of them were loyal citizens.

Aang couldn't take it.

"That's despicable. I always thought that Ozai was just a crazed megalomaniac – but no. He's just _pure evil_!" He pointed his finger accusingly at Ying. "And you're no better!"

A snort escaped the general's nose. "Say what you will, Avatar. But mark my words – today will see the end of you all!"

His eyeballs darted in the direction of Pythos and Long Feng, who lingered in a corner. _"Delay them," _he whispered from the corner of his mouth.

Aang, Katara and Zuko whirled around in time to evade a double attack from Pythos and Long Feng. The evil duo landed on their feet and moved into battle stances, preparing another assault.

Ying slipped away towards the nearest exit.

…

Sokka was clashing with a particularly large Firebender wielding a fierce looking sword. Around him, the rest of the gang was battling a mixture of Dai Li agents and Imperial Firebenders.

Sokka brandished his sword, holding it out in front of him. His foe merely grinned. He stood over Sokka, holding out his weapon in a ready position. The next thing Sokka knew, the blade of his adversary's sword was alight in flames. Sokka gulped.

"Interesting Firebending technique."

With a roar, the Firebender attacked with his flaming weapon. Sokka parried an attack, but as his weapons clashed, stray strands of flame jumped from his enemy's blade, licking his skin and scorching his clothes.

Sokka took a step back, then his eyes widened as the fiery bladed descended for his head. He ducked, narrowly missing the weapon. He could feel his warrior wolf-tail being singed from the heat emanating from the sword.

And then he was upright again, blocking blow after blow. The Firebender pressed the attack, driving Sokka towards a wall. His back made contact with the stone wall. He was trapped. He raised his sword, blocking another attack. Their swords crossed, and the Firebender was slowly driving Sokka's sword from his hands. Sokka adjusted his grip, but his enemy was far too strong. His knee gave out beneath him, dropping to the floor. His sword spun out of his hands as he felt his forearm beginning to bend towards a break.

The Firebender grinned triumphantly, raised his sword for the kill.

_POW!_

A booted foot flew through the air, knocking the Firebender out cold. Sokka looked up to see Ursa wearing her Blue Spirit clothing.

She reached her hand out to help him up, before rejoining the battle.

…

Aang, Katara and Zuko squared off against Long Feng and Pythos. Long Feng pounded the ground with his boot, creating a fissure within the floor, nearly swallowing up Zuko and Katara. Aang used his Airbending to blow the two out of the way, only to find his feet frozen in a block of ice. Pythos' tongue flicked out between his pointed teeth.

Aang looked up to see a jagged piece of rock flying at his head, courtesy of Long Feng. He didn't have time block it or pull himself out of the ice.

But Katara was there, immediately erecting a wall of ice, blocking the deadly attack.

Zuko was next, kicking fire at Long Feng, who created several rocky barriers. Pythos joined his partner, using spurts of water to douse Zuko's flames into nothing but steam.

Katara created a ramp of ice, surfing along it, before flinging herself into the air, firing slices of water at Long Feng.

The former Earth Kingdom secretariat backed away, evading every attack. Pythos spun into the air, countering Katara's watery attacks with Waterbending of his own.

Aang kicked some boulders at his foes, using Airbending to speed them up.

Pythos and Long Feng worked in concert, creating a rocky barrier, and covering it in ice to reinforce it. The two of them then kicked the barrier straight at Aang. It came at him like a hammer. The Avatar twisted in midair, narrowly evading the attack, before landing hard.

Long Feng disappeared underground, reappearing behind Aang, grabbing him in a bear hug. Pythos hurled a heavy block of ice at the monk. Aang bashed the back of his head against Long Feng's face, flipping him over his back, ducking under the ice.

There was a pause in the battle in which they all stared each other down.

That is until Toph blasted a giant hole in the wall and Ursa, Sokka, Mai and Jin filed into the battle.

Ursa immediately saw Long Feng and Pythos battling against her son, and so he launched herself at them without hesitation.

The two warriors were quickly overwhelmed by Ursa's fast-spinning blades. When Toph, Mai and Sokka joined the fray, it was game over. Toph trapped both of them in a block of stone, before Ursa knocked them both clean unconscious with the butt of her swords.

There was a collective sigh of relief.

Until Aang delivered the shattering news.

"They've set up bombs underground! We have to move!"

Toph, Mai, Sokka, Ursa and Jin stared at him deadpan. "Bombs," Mai asked drearily.

"And they're going to go off in less than ten minutes!"

Sokka turned to the blind Earthbender standing next to him. "Toph, can you use your super-senses to find the location of the bombs underground?"

She shrugged. "I can give it a shot." She slid her feet across the surface of the floor. She had honed her sensory skills, increasing them by a mile. Her face shot up with a mixture of horror. "Yea, there're bombs down there alright! And the fuses have been lit!"

"We have to move," Zuko shouted.

"Leave it to me," Toph announced, creating a hole in the floor. "Everyone in – I'll lead you directly to the bombs!"

One by one, they filed into the hole. Aang, however, held out a hand to stop Zuko. "Listen, you know the capital better than anyone here. Do you know where the prison tower is located?"

Zuko nodded. "Of course. It's not far from here at all."

"Good. Could you lead me there?"

"I don't know if -."

"Listen, Guru Pathik is a good friend of mine. I need answers. He's seen Azula in her Dark Avatar State. Maybe he can help me find her weakness."

"I don't think we have time for this, Aang."

"Toph and the rest of the group can stop those bombs. Plus, we'll be in and out before we're really missed."

Zuko ran a hand through his long hair. "Alright. Let's do this."

Aang gave Toph a salute, which she mimicked, before she followed the others in the crack she created, before it sealed up behind them. Zuko, meanwhile, led Aang out the door.

…

Beneath the capital was a crisscrossing network of underground tunnels and bunkers. It was in these bunkers that had Azula led them on a merry chase during the Day of Black Sun a few months ago.

Toph quickly led the way, using Metalbending to blow a door off one of the underground bunkers. There, inside, were a number of barrels filled with blasting jelly. There was a long wire fuse sticking out.

And it was lit. In a few minutes the bombs would go off.

"Quick, we have to find a way to diffuse it," Sokka exclaimed. He rubbed his chin. "Let's think … how can we stop it?

Ursa answered the question by merely slicing the fuse off of the bombs with her broadsword.

Sokka nodded, impressed. "That's one way to do it."

"Yea, but there are still three more left," Katara pointed out.

Toph pointed ahead. "I sense another one this way!"

…

Zuko and Aang ran through the capital towards the prison tower. Zuko remembered how he often used to visit his uncle here late at night. His uncle had refused to talk to him at first, before finally revealing Zuko's true identity as the great-grandson of Avatar Roku. He looked at the monk next to him – Aang was his great-grandfather in another life. It was weird and difficult to wrap his mind around.

It was even more awkward, running here with Aang, considering everything that had happened between them.

They came to the tower, and Zuko kicked the prison door off its hinges, before he and Aang knocked the guards out of the way. Aang lifted one of the guards unto his feet. "Where is the guru," he demanded.

Zuko raised his fists. "I suggest you listen to him."

The guard gulped, before pointing upwards. "High security level. Very top of the tower."

Aang nodded. "Thanks a lot. And I'm really sorry for what I'm about to do." He gently tapped the guard with his staff, knocking him unconscious. _"Sorry," _Aang whispered as he slowly lowered the now snoozing guard to the ground, before snatching up his prison keys from his belt.

"Easy enough," he commented, before he and Zuko rushed upstairs.

As they ran up several spiral staircases, Zuko decided to clear the air between him and Aang. If the rest of the gang failed to stop the bombs, this might very well be the last time they ever saw each other.

"Aang … listen, about what happened in Ba Sing Se …"

"Don't sweat it, Zuko. It wasn't you – it was that freaky replica."

"I want you to know, that I love Katara … but Mai is the one I want to be with. I can't come between you two … even if I did feel that way about Katara … you two were meant to be together."

Aang stopped, his back to Zuko, his head lowered. "No, we're not."

Zuko's mouth was agape. "But I thought -."

"It's nothing about you … or her even … it's complicated … but Katara and I can't be together … I can't allow myself to be with her …"

"But I don't understand."

"Listen, we don't have time to talk about it right now." His cheeks were flushed and his eyes misted. "If we get out of this alive … now's not the time … and I'm not sure I feel comfortable discussing this at all."

"I understand. If you ever feel like talking …"

"I will."

And Zuko breathed a sigh of relief. This conversation definitely diminished the level of awkwardness between them, but not totally. Zuko still wondered how Aang could just run out on them like he did. He was sure there was a reasonable explanation.

"Here it is." There was a barred prison cell, and in a corner languished Guru Pathik. The guru perked up as the two approached the cell.

_"Aang?"_ His voice was weak, tired and raspy.

Aang couldn't suppress a smile. "I'm here." He inserted the key into the lock, and with a quick turn, the door swung open. The monk rushed into the cell, helping the guru to his feet. The guru was unsteady, and he leaned on Aang for support.

His eyes were full of sadness and regret. _"I taught her … I taught her how to master her Dark Avatar State …"_

Aang swallowed tightly. "I know."

_"I'm so sorry … please forgive me …"_

"You did it against your will. You had no choice – you'd be of no help to anyone dead."

_"But there is a way … there is a weakness … a way to vanquish the Dark Avatar Spirit for good …"_

A way. A way to end this for good.

"Tell us later, Guru. We have to get out of here right now!" He hauled the guru's arm around his shoulder. Zuko grabbed his other arm, and the two helped the old man make his way out of the prison.

…

In the course of the past five minutes, Toph had led the group underground and they had diffused two more bombs.

Finally they were coming up to the last one. "Alright Blue Spirit Mama, do your stuff."

Ursa nodded behind her Blue Spirit mask. "With pleasure." She approached the remaining bomb, raised her sword, preparing to end this madness once and for all.

The only problem was, there was no fuse.

Ursa investigated the bomb again and again. Even Toph and Sokka took a look.

Sokka was beginning to freak out. "I don't get it! Where's the fuse? How can it blow up without a fuse?" And then it struck him. "I've seen this type of bomb before … several months ago when we met the Mechanist at the Northern Air Temple. He was designing a new type of bomb that didn't need a fuse." He looked at everyone around him. "The Fire Nation must have stolen his plans, just as they stole his blueprints for those airships!"

"What does that mean," Katara asked, her face beginning to ashen.

"I means we have to go! NOW!"

Already the barrels were beginning to shake, on the verge of exploding.

"MOVE!"

Thinking quickly, Toph bended the ground beneath them, creating a miniature elevator. She propelled everyone up out of the tunnels and out into the open air of the capital.

Below them, the final bomb went off.

KABOOM!

The explosion wasn't heard below ground, but it was felt. It created several tremors that sent citizens of the capital running in panic.

And then the tremors stopped. For a moment it was silent. Toph slid her feet across the ground, and her face turned whiter than snow. "Not good," she started repeating. "Not good. Not good!"

"What's happening down there, Toph?" Sokka gripped her by the shoulders, determined to discover the true extent to how sticky their predicament was.

"It's really bad! That bomb woke the volcano up. Lava's already beginning to boil up here. In a few minutes, this volcano's going to blow! With us all here on it!"

…

As Aang and Zuko emerged from the prison tower with the guru, they were nearly thrown off their feet by the fierce tremors.

Zuko looked around, completely bewildered. "Earthquakes? We don't usually have earthquakes around here!"

"The bombs," answered Aang. "One of the bombs must have gone off." He bit his lip. "We have to hurry!" He reached into his orange vest and withdrew his bison whistle. He placed it between his lips and gave it a swift blow.

In a matter of seconds, Appa appeared in the sky. Aang and Zuko placed the weakened guru in the saddle, before climbing in themselves. "We have to find everyone else! Yip-yip!"

The sky bison ascended into the sky, and Aang scanned the city. Below was pandemonium as the citizens of the capital were in a panicked frenzy. More tremors began causing several buildings to collapse. Pressure built beneath the ground, and magma began spewing upward. The volcano was on the verge of explosion – there was no way all of the citizens would be able to escape in time.

Unless…

Scanning the ground, he saw his friends in the center of the city. Tugging on the reigns, he caused Appa to drop downward into the city, before he hurriedly climbed off the side.

"Aang!" Katara immediately gave him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. Aang responded merely with a limp hug.

"One of the bombs went off," Toph hurriedly explained. "This place is about to blow!"

Aang made a split-second decision. "Everyone get onboard Appa. Take him as far away from here as possible."

"What about you," was Katara's immediate concern.

"Don't worry about me. I'm going to try to slow down the explosion … somehow. I'll try to make sure as many people get out of here as possible …" There was a sudden pang in his chest. There was no way he'd be able to make sure everyone got to safety.

But he sure as heck was going to try.

"I'm not leaving you!" Katara meant it with every fiber of her being.

"Go! There's no time! Just go!"

"Aang, I can't leave you here to die! I … I love you!"

Those words … like a dagger through his heart. He wanted to say it back, but Koh's warning lingered. Also, he didn't want her to endanger her life for him.

"Then if you love me, you'll go!"

"Don't put me in that position, Aang! I love you and I want to stand by you!"

"I … I don't feel that way about you, Katara. So just go! Go on! Get out of here!" It was a lie, and it put even more daggers in his heart to say so … but if it got Katara out of harm's way …

The look on Katara's face was one that would be etched into his memory forever. Her face was suddenly forlorn, and she looked like she had lived many lifetimes of pain.

"Come on," she said suddenly to the rest of the gang. She climbed aboard Appa, as everyone else solemnly followed suit.

She gave her putative boyfriend one last, heartbreaking look. "Good luck … Aang." She flicked the reigns, and they were all gone.

In that moment, Aang wished he would die here, just so that he wouldn't have to remember Katara's face for the rest of his life.

More lava bubbled to the surface, and Aang fixed his attention on that. He suddenly jerked his hands out, spinning them in complicated motions, Firebending the lava, preventing as much of it from spreading as possible. He used Earthbending to cause the natural elements within the lava to harden it.

Another geyser of flame shot into the air about ten feet away from him.

He wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer.

…

There was silence in Appa's saddle. Katara piloted Appa, and so she had her back to the rest of the group. She was just as happy – that way, no one could see the tears flowing down her face.

Sokka could sense the pain in his sister. He reached out and touched her shoulder. "Katara …"

She shrugged his hand off. "I'm fine," she answered curtly, and Sokka knew better than to press the issue.

Below, another spring of lava burst into the air. Katara yanked the reigns, Appa barely missing it. The bison was already growing tired. He was not used to carrying so many people on his back … they were weighing him down.

At this rate, they were all in danger of being incinerated when the volcano finally did go off in all its fury.

…

Ying hummed merrily to himself. He was in a hangar, untying a small war balloon from its moorings. Ozai and his fleet had taken all of the airships and war balloons earlier this morning, leaving just this one.

Ying and Ozai had planned it all out this morning. Ying would escape in the last war balloon, leaving everyone else behind to die. He would then join up with Ozai and the rest of his war fleet.

And then they would victoriously go forth to conquer the world.

With Azula at their helm, they would be unstoppable.

The sudden noise of people entering the hangar roused Ying's attention as he fussed with a final knot.

It was Long Feng and Pythos. Long Feng breathed a sigh of relief. "Ah, good. General Ying, you have a war balloon for us. For a moment, we were afraid of being trapped here."

Ying rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, about that …"

"Hurry!" Pythos' reptilian face was unusually calm, despite the terror in the air. "We musssst use this balloon to make our esssscape."

"Oh, this balloon will be making an escape," Ying replied. "The only problem is, you two _won't _be joining me."

Long Feng's eyes flashed. "What? You'll leave us here to die? After we served you and the Fire Nation faithfully?"

"Don't think your service will go unthanked. No, no, no, you'll both be celebrated as heroes – in death of course!"

"I don't understand! Why?" Long Feng clenched his fist, and a vein throbbed in his forehead. Pythos seemed unusually relaxed, despite the imminent danger.

Ying had a sardonic smile across his face. "This is a rather small war balloon. I can't risk anyone else weighing me down!"

Long Feng shook his head. "Enough chit-chat! If you won't let us come with you, we'll take that balloon from you by force!"

"Too little, too late!" Ying tossed the untied rope away as the balloon began gliding up in the air. "See ya later – or maybe not!"

"You little worm!" Long Feng was seething. He couldn't believe he was being betrayed by the Fire Nation – again! With a roar, he charged towards the balloon, grabbing onto the rope. The balloon began listing towards the side, before it could reach the hangar's exit.

Ying's face dropped into a frown as Long Feng began climbing the rope. With a sigh, Ying snapped his fingers and the rope burst into flame. Long Feng screamed as his hands were burned from the fire, and he dropped to the hangar floor.

"So long, suckers!" Ying's voice echoed throughout the hangar as the war balloon glided out through the doors and into the sky.

Long Feng and Pythos could only watch their last means of escape sailing away. Further, further, further … gone.

…

Aang was amazing. With the speed and accuracy of a pro acrobat, he performed all kinds of bending tricks, causing the lava to harden, preventing it from reaching the escaping citizens.

But in the long run, it was no use.

More and more lava burst from beneath the ground. There was no way he would be able to keep up with it.

Unless…

There was no other choice.

Aang closed his eyes, took a deep breath, let go of everything … and entered the Avatar State.

…

Appa alighted on a small island about a mile away from the capital. Everyone slid off his saddle, and the bison let out a sigh of relief at not being burdened anymore.

Katara turned around, watching as a small, distant figure rose up into the sky.

Aang was in the Avatar State.

But more lava was flowing around him. And she realized … no matter what he said to her, she just couldn't leave him behind. So he said something just plain hurtful … so he rejected her love … even though he said he didn't share her feelings, it didn't diminish her feelings for him any less.

She just couldn't leave him there to face an entire volcanic eruption.

Without saying a word to anyone else, she climbed back into Appa's saddle.

…

In the Avatar State, Aang's bending had improved by a mile. He was ferociously battling waves of white hot lava, holding them back long enough for scores of citizens to rush away from the danger.

With a wave of his arm, he hardened the lava beneath him. It looked like he might just beat this thing yet.

…

Ying flew past in his war balloon. He gripped the railing and his eyes narrowed as he watched Aang in the Avatar State hold back an entire volcanic eruption.

The general began gathering his chi.

…

Aang continued to harden the lava beneath him using various Earthbending techniques. He was doing it. He was waging war against an entire volcano and was winning.

_**ZAAAP!**_

__Aang's body stiffened, before his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed into the ground below.

…

"NOOO!"

The word tore from Katara's throat. She had seen the whole event play out before her. Ying passed Aang in his war balloon and had shot him through with lightning. Images flashed in her mind of that day back in Ba Sing Se – when Azula had done the exact same thing to him.

"Hurry Appa!"

She prayed she wouldn't be too late.

She prayed that Aang wouldn't be … well, she couldn't bear that thought.

…

Aang's body shuddered as it lay in the ground, lightning still coursing through his limbs. He twitched weakly. The lightning had shot through his back, barely missing his heart.

Worse still, more lava was spewing upward – and a river of it was moving towards his prone form. He struggled to pull himself to his feet. He fought to retain consciousness … he realized what would happen to him if he fought off unconsciousness, and he battled it with every fiber of his being.

It was a losing battle.

His vision was blurring, the noises around him were becoming more distant.

_No!_

He couldn't stave it off any longer. The pain was unbearable. His mind was desperately trying to block out his agony, and to do that he had to slip into unconsciousness.

The lava inched closer.

His eyes went blank, and the world around him was no more.

…

When Katara reached the capital with Appa, she saw a bunch of people running. It was sheer chaos as everyone fought for their lives. The harbor, at the edge of the city, was teeming with masses to get on boats. The boat captain was literally trampled as all sense of order went out the window.

But that was funny. There were two men, who seemed to be carrying an unconscious body.

An unconscious body that happened to look a lot like -.

"Aang!"

The two men tilted their heads upward, and Katara saw their faces.

Long Feng and Pythos.

Katara balled her fists in fury. "Let him go!"

"Wait," Long Feng tried to protest. "It's not what it looks like!"

"It looks like you're kidnapping the Avatar!"

"No. We're _saving_ him!"

"Don't give me that! You two are the scum of the earth!"

Pythos waved his hands in a placating gesture. "Lisssten, we're running out of time. Do you really want to bicker with us – we're more than willing to give you your friend back … if you help us escape!"

Katara thought about it. It was a tough decision. Why should she trust two of her mortal enemies? But she had no choice.

"Get on! And if you so much as try anything -."

"The Fire Nation betrayed us," Long Feng growled. "The Fire Nation is now our enemy. And the enemy of our enemy is our friend!"

Shaking her head in annoyance, Katara allowed Pythos and Long Feng to climb aboard. She also allowed as many other people as possible to climb on too.

With a roar, Appa took to the skies. Leaving the bison on autopilot, Katara immediately turned over to nurture Aang, who was beginning to groan.

"He's been slipping in and out of consciousness repeatedly," explained Long Feng.

Katara rubbed his face, and Aang momentarily regained consciousness. _"Katara," _he moaned weakly.

"I'm here, Aang." She cradled his head in her lap.

_"Come closer. Closer."_

She leaned in until his lips were grazing her ear. "What is it, Aang?"

_"Would you … would you …"_

"Would I what, Aang?"

_"When this is all over … would you go penguin sledding with me?"_ He smiled weakly, before wincing and passing out again. Katara smiled tenderly, as she gently stroked his cheek. Her tears dripped onto his face.

"Of course, Aang."

…

Toph and crew were sitting on the island, watching the capital descend into chaos. Mai tenderly rubbed Zuko's shoulder as they watched the palace crumble away. Zuko's past … gone in an instant.

"It's over," Zuko was saying. "Azula's mastered the Dark Avatar State, the Fire Nation is in ruins, and now my father's going to destroy everything in his path. It's hopeless now."

"It's not hopeless," Sokka answered. "As long as Aang still breathes … there's still hope."

"But the Equinox is only four days away! How can we stop them in time?"

"We'll think of something," Mai answered, and for the first time, Zuko noticed a small smile on his girlfriend's face. Not a fake smile.

A sincere smile.

It made Zuko's heart practically burst. He reached out, gently stroked her face, before attaching his lips to hers. Ursa watched in horror.

Jin merely looked away, her own eyes hot with tears.

"Look! Katara's coming!" Everyone followed Sokka's finger to see a bison arriving. As soon as Appa landed, everyone ran over to him. They were surprised to see Long Feng and Pythos sitting there, but none of it mattered.

Aang was okay.

Sort of.

"His wounds are severe," Katara stated. "But not as bad as the ones he sustained at Azula's hands back in Ba Sing Se. I just need to apply some Spirit Water, and he'll be up and about in two days."

Sokka was exasperated. "Two days! But the Equinox is only four days away! How can we possibly catch up with Azula?"

Katara glared at him. "Do you have a better plan?"

For once, Sokka didn't.

But everyone was sharing in his sentiment.

Azula had mastered the Dark Avatar State. The Fire Nation was on the verge of victory in a war that the world had thought was won.

A new age of darkness was descending on the land.

…

The Earth Kingdom was on the brink of collapse. City after city. Town after town. They all fell to the unstoppable onslaught of the Fire Nation and its Dark Avatar.

Azula was a weapon in her own right. In the Dark Avatar state, she lay waste to all opposition in a matter of seconds. Already, Omashu had fallen, as well as the outlying cities and suburbs.

Ba Sing Se was as good as gone since her last visit there, so it wasn't even worth the Fire Nation's time anymore.

Ozai watched his daughter proudly. She was magnificent, supernatural. The embodiment of destruction itself.

Within a few hours, half of the Earth Kingdom had fallen. By tomorrow, all opposition would be gone and Ozai would focus his campaign upon the Water Tribes.

Victory was within sight…

…

**Author's Note: ATTENTION!**

This story is nearing its close. The next chapter will be the beginning of my four or five part finale. I say four or five parts because it all depends on how much I can cram into one chapter. If I can finish it in four chapters, I definitely will.

As we move into the finale, I'm writing this special little piece here so I can share some of the ideas that went into this story. Also, I'll give you a sneak peak at the finale at the end. Sort of a written trailer, if you will.

I wanted the first half of this story to be as reminiscent of Book One as possible. I wanted to focus the first half primarily on Aang and his adventures with Katara and Sokka – just like the old days of Book One. The second half was to focus on the inner conflict within Aang as he tries to separate his duties as Avatar with what he wants.

**Plotting:**

The plot of this story was relatively simple. It was Book Four: Air. So one of the main plotlines had to be about the Airbenders. Problem was, there were no Airbenders left. I developed an idea of what if there was another temple. So the plot grew from that basic premise. The story developed into a story about searching for the last Airbenders – only to find a shocking secret about them that would shatter Aang's entire worldview. This also played into second half of the story – about Aang's inner conflict.

Another way to tie the Airbenders into the story was with the story of Avatar Ko-Rei. He was an Air Nomad/Avatar that went bad. But in his mind, it was justifiable. He was doing all these bad things, thinking he was doing good. I incorporated him into the story as a foil for Aang. The idea was that there was this Airbender that went bad, and now history is repeating itself as Aang is beginning to follow in his footsteps. The finale will incorporate this element, especially in regards to Avatar Ko-Rei. He will play a major role before all is said and done.

Finally, there was Malu. The little girl they discovered at the fifth air temple who turned out to be an Airbender. She also turned out to be dead, thus shattering any potential hope of restoring the Air Nomads. Malu will also play a significant role in the finale.

**Shipping:**

The main ship in this story was Kataang, but there was supposed to be some Zutara thrown in for good measure. The Zutara was important because it helped fuel Aang's inner conflict and helped provide a turning point for him – especially with the Fake Zuko. Incidentally, we'll also learn where the Fake Zuko came from – and also how the Combustion Man returned earlier in this story. I don't want to give much away, but if you examine the fates of both the Combustion Man and Fake Zuko in this story, you'll see a link between them. All will be revealed in the finale.

I tried to tone down the Zutara a lot. I'm not trying to start a shipping war here :). Other than that, the ships will pretty much remain consistent with the t.v. show.

**Finale:**

And so now for the finale. We have the Autumnal Equinox arriving, where all heck will break loose. The earth itself will literally begin tearing itself apart under the strain. Secrets that many characters have been harboring will be revealed and the final confrontation – Aang vs. Azula – will occur.

All in all, I'm trying to make my finale just as epic as the t.v. show's finale (if not more so). What will happen?

Will Aang and Katara end up together?

Will Azula be defeated?

What will become of Malu?

What role will Avatar Ko-Rei play?

Will the world finally have a happy ending, or face oblivion?

And without further ado, I present to you a small trailer to the finale:

…

Everything starts out quiet. The screen is black.

Suddenly, a voice is heard speaking.

"_I never wanted any of this. I never wanted to be the Avatar – to have to watch my friends suffer and die…"_

…

Images flash of Zuko being blasted back by fire, Toph being pummeled to the ground by rogue Earthbenders, Sokka running through a crowd, screaming for Suki, and Katara falling to her knees, crying loudly.

…

The screen fades to black again as another voice responds to Aang.

"_What we wish is irrelevant. We must focus on reality, stare cold truth right in the face, and march onward, steeled for the future…"_

"_And what if the future isn't the future I want?"_

…

Katara and Aang are standing in a room. Aang has his back to her and his head is down. A tear rolls down Katara's cheek and lands on the floor.

"I'm sorry, Aang."

Aang nods, accepting the inevitable.

…

"_As Avatar, your duty is to lay aside your wants…"_

...

Aang watches a father embrace his young son and daughter from above. A bittersweet smile crosses the monk's face.

…

"_Never forget, that your role in this world is strictly to maintain balance. If you must sacrifice your own happiness in order to do so…"_

"_Then so be it," _Aang finishes sadly.

…

Sokka is angrily in Aang's face, poking him in the chest.

"When will you understand Aang – this isn't about _you_ anymore! There's much more going on than just your emotional instability. The world is coming to an end – _why can't you see it?"_

…

"_Open your eyes and accept the truth of who you are."_

…

Iroh is holding a meeting of generals and other military commanders in a room. They sit around a table. Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, Hakoda and others join them.

"Our enemies are gathering," Iroh warns. "Their numbers continue to swell, and with each passing second, more and more of the world will fall to their armies. And with the Dark Avatar at the helm, no one will be able to stand against them."

"When will they be here," Hakoda asks.

"Within the day."

…

Hundreds of Fire Nation airships darken the skies like locusts.

…

Sokka is standing on a podium addressing a makeshift army made up of allies across all four nations.

"Understand that they aren't coming here to conquer or enslave us – they're coming to shed the blood of every last one of us – man, woman, child, infant!"

…

Ozai sits on a throne in royal regalia, addressing throngs of Fire Nation officials.

"I say we purge this entire planet until the Fire Nation is all that remains!"

…

Jin is panicking. "We don't have enough men! We're all going to die!"

Mai slaps her to calm her down.

…

"It's true," Sokka replies, turning to Aang. "They outnumber us a hundred to one. I hate to say it – but I think we're going to lose…"

…

The armada of airships continues its flight. Standing on a lookout of the lead ship is the horrendous trio of Ozai, Azula and Ying.

…

"They're coming," Sokka says.

…

The screen goes black as all goes silent.

…

All of a sudden the screen goes wild as all four nations engage in the battle of the ages. Water, Earth, Fire and Air are whipped around amid the fighting.

…

Sokka, Suki and Toph are fending off infinite enemies. Sokka uses his sword while Suki uses her fans. Toph uses Earthbending to throw two tanks off balance, only to have five more take their place. She sweats profusely.

"I can't keep this up forever."

"_Hurry Aang," _Sokka comments under his breath as he engages a Fire Nation troop.

…

Aang Airbends a tank right off a cliff.

…

Azula twirls her hair between her fingers, waiting impatiently. Aang appears behind her.

"Finally," she breathes.

…

"A final confrontation is coming," Iroh says knowledgably. "For all of us."

…

Azula enters the Dark Avatar State. She hovers up into the air, her glowing eyes focused on Aang, who is also in the Avatar State. They charge, fighting in midair. The force of their fight literally starts to tear the earth apart.

…

Ursa and Ozai duel with broadswords over a giant pit of fire. The sword fighting is fast and intense.

…

Sokka holds on to Suki for dear life as flames surround them.

"This looks like the end," he murmurs.

Suki looks at him deadpan. "Then I'm glad I'm with you…"

They share a sad kiss.

…

Aang is kneeling in front of the specters of his past lives. Avatar Roku is speaking. _"If you can't put your duties as Avatar before your personal life … then perhaps your role as Avatar should cease."_

Aang looks up quickly. "I don't understand…"

"_It is a decision that had to be made lightly. Only very few times in the past has it been done. The other Avatars and I have decided to remove you from the Avatar Cycle."_

…

Katara disappears underwater. Aang rushes after her, but the water instantly seals into ice. Katara's face appears beneath the ice, before vanishing altogether. The ice melts and Aang finds himself standing in shallow water again.

…

Aang is standing in the courtyard of the Southern Air Temple – his old home. He is joined by Avatar Ko-Rei who appears in his human form. Aang is on the verge of tears.

Ko-Rei seems to be gloating.

"You see … no matter what you do, Aang, you will never be happy. Your future will always be one of hopeless solitude. Even if the Fire Nation is defeated, you will be alone for the rest of your life."

"My friends," Aang begins.

"Will forget all about you," Ko-Rei interrupts. "All of their stories have a fairy tale ending – except for yours."

…

Aang is shaking his head. "I don't know if I can just forsake my friends and loved ones. They've always empowered me – they haven't hindered me at all! In fact – I'm a better Avatar because of them!"

…

Aang is involved in a group hug with all of his friends.

…

Aang stands before an ethereal Monk Gyatso.

…

Avatar Ko-Rei smiles sadly. "Then why is it that your friends have hurt you the most?"

…

Aang wipes his eyes as Katara leaves the room. They had just been arguing.

…

Avatar Ko-Rei's face becomes very serious. "You are no longer fit to be the Avatar, Aang. It's time you stepped aside and allow someone else to step in."

…

Guru Pathik looks Aang deep in the eyes. "I was wrong Aang," he admits. "You cannot sacrifice those you love. Your ability to love your friends is what makes you a strong Avatar. It gives you the ability to love others who may not be your friends – including your enemies."

…

Aang and Avatar Ko-Rei engage each other in a fierce duel – the first of its kind. A battle between two Airbenders.

…

Azula lays on the ground in a fetal position, crying.

…

Ursa embraces her son.

…

Malu is huddled in a corner, crying, afraid… Azula stands over her, hesitant…

…

Ko-Rei is screaming in fury.

…

Flashes of fighting between the Fire Nation and the other nations.

…

The flashes get faster and faster, culminating in one final crescendo.

…

The screen is black again and all is silent.

…

"_Your destiny is what you decide it to be, Aang."_

…

Aang and Katara hesitate; then they slowly join together and their lips meet in one fateful, last kiss.

…

The "Avatar: The Last Airbender" theme song can be heard gently playing in the background as the screen goes black once more…


	21. Chapter 21: The Hidden Monk

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

…

**Author's Note: Here it is – the first chapter of my finale. I feel a little bit saddened, because this is the beginning of the end of my story. I've been working on it for over a year, and it's become like my baby. Anyway, enough chitchat – let the end begin!**

…

~0~

_My grandmother used to tell me stories of the old days…_

_A time of peace when the Avatar kept balance between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads…_

_But all that changed when the Fire Nation attacked…_

~0~

_Only the Avatar mastered all four elements. Only he could stop the ruthless Firebenders…_

_But when the world needed him most, he vanished…_

~0~

_A hundred years have passed and the Fire Nation is nearing victory in the war…_

_Two years ago, my father and the men of my tribe journeyed to the Earth Kingdom to help fight against the Fire Nation, leaving me and my brother to look after our tribe…_

~0~

_Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads and that the cycle is broken, but I haven't lost hope…_

~0~

_I still believe that somehow the Avatar will return to save the world…_

~0~

…

Book 4:

Air

Chapter twenty-one:

The Airbender Cycle Part I:

The Hidden Monk

…

The dawn brought a golden glow across the crisp, yellow earth. Fall was in full swing, and a crisp chill was in the air.

It was at this time that the astronomers and star gazers would get their telescopes out. With the Autumnal Equinox only two days away, the planets would start to align. It was a brilliant sight in the darkened skies.

The more superstitious folk would latch their windows and bolt their doors, leaving food offerings and other gifts on their doorsteps for the wandering spirits. As the Mortal World and the Spirit World converged, many spirits would cross over into the land of the living.

Some spirits were friendly pranksters, playing tricks on people. Others were tragic figures, wandering the earth in mourning, perhaps searching for a long lost love.

Then there were some spirits that were … malevolent. It was for these wicked spirits that people left offerings out, in the hopes of being left in peace. Some spirits were appeased.

Others needed a more substantial offering.

Many a person would go missing during the Equinox, never to be seen again. Many believe that they merely wandered off.

Others believed that the malevolent spirits had taken them off into the Spirit World forever.

But this year …

The spirits would be far more agitated this year.

There would be fewer offerings given. The villages and towns that had not been burned to the ground were under hostile occupation.

The Fire Nation and its Dark Avatar had conquered most of the Earth Kingdom in just a few days' time. The attacks had come as a complete surprise. Most of the major cities were bombed back into the Stone Age. Ba Sing Se was in chaos as a result of the Avatar's destructive force upon entering the Avatar State.

Omashu's defenses were wiped out with a clean bombardment from a fleet of airships, and the Dark Avatar crushed all other resistance.

Most Earth Kingdom soldiers gave in without much of a fight. It was useless to resist the all-powerful Princess.

But it was the darndest thing.

Even though most Earth Kingdom citizens were imprisoned within their own walls, held hostage, forced into manual labor, had their loved ones tortured and killed, though things seemed hopeless, some of the more superstitious folk managed a small smile.

Old Lady Hester was one of them. As she stood in line with her neighbors, their hands and legs bound in chains, listening to Fire Nation soldiers bark orders at them, Old Lady Hester still smirked.

One of the soldiers saw it and was immediately upon her.

"I would wipe that smirk off my face, if I were you, old woman!"

Old Lady Hester looked up at him defiantly. "I would be panicked, if _I _were _you_!"

"Is that a threat?"

"Oh no, not a threat. Just a warning. You see, the Autumnal Equinox is near, and the spirits that come here get very grumpy when they don't receive offerings from us. They tend to take people away into the Spirit Realm."

The soldier crossed his arms. "Well then that's _your_ problem!"

"No, not mine. You see, the Fire Nation is the reason we can't leave offerings this year. The Spirits realize this." The silly grin on her face spread to her neighbors. "The Spirits will be coming after _you_!"

The soldier growled, and flames lit his hands. "No more talk, old woman!"

But Old Lady Hester didn't shut up. "And if the Spirits don't get you, then the Avatar certainly will!"

"I said shut up!" The soldier pulled back his fist, and Old Lady Hester lost her balance and fell on the ground. The soldier prepared to deliver some Fire Nation "punishment" when he found his hand restrained. He turned around to see -.

"Captain!" He bowed clumsily.

"We do not hurt the elderly, son," the Fire Nation captain warned.

"But sir – she was saying -."

"I don't care. _I _still have some sense of honor when it comes to dealing with prisoners, even if our leader does not."

The other Fire Nation soldiers stood aghast. This man had just … had just claimed that the Phoenix King had no honor.

Another soldier bellowed at his captain. "How dare you speak against the Phoenix King! That is treason!"

"It's treason to talk back against your superior," the captain snarled.

The first soldier and the second looked at each other knowingly, before both turning on their captain, blasting him through a wooden wall with a jet of flame.

The rest of the Fire Nation troops assented to this mutiny. The captain had spoken ill of their leader – so he had to be replaced.

The first soldier grinned to the second. "I think a promotion is in order."

Without the restraint of the honorable captain, the rest of the soldiers menaced on their prisoners.

But even as Old Lady Hester struggled to get up; even as the shadow of a soldier loomed over her; she again managed a small smile.

"The Avatar _will_ come for you. The Avatar _will _stop you. Wherever he is…"

…

Light.

It was a glimmer that shone through his closed eyes, slightly burning them. He noticed a slight pounding in his temple.

He tried to shift his body position, when he noticed that he was covered in furry blankets. It was then that he noticed a sharp pain in his back – as though a jolt of electricity had charged up his back.

"Stay still. Don't try to move too quickly."

It was a voice – a melodious one at that. And it soothed him, warming him in this cold environment. Slowly, his eyelids peeled open and he noticed a beautiful pair of blue eyes hovering over him.

_Hmm, this seems familiar_, he thought.

Memories, of a distant past … but wait, it couldn't be that distant. Just a little under a year ago. Memories of ice, blackness for a hundred years, and then … blue eyes peering at him.

Just like they were now. But whose -?

_"Katara."_

The word soared from his lips, like a note from a musical instrument. Suddenly, he was hit with memories of everything that just happened, and he shot upright like a cork.

"The lava! The volcanic explosion!"

"Relax," Katara soothed, gently pushing him back into the bed and then proceeding to fluff his yak pillows. "You managed to hold the lava back long enough for almost everybody to get to safety."

"What happened to me?"

"Ying happened to shoot you through with lightning as he passed you in his airship."

He shuddered. It was just like when Azula shot him at the catacombs beneath Ba Sing Se. "How long was I out this time," he asked, dreading the answer.

Katara brought a bowl of meat-free stew over to him, and lifted a spoonful to his lips. Aang looked at her questioningly, and she rolled her eyes.

"Only two days this time. Now eat. You need to get your strength back." She forced the stew into his mouth, and he practically gagged.

"What is this?"

Katara giggled. "One of Gran Gran's personal recipes. It's an herbal stew."

Gran Gran? "Where am I?"

"The Southern Water Tribe. The rest of the gang's here too. Surprisingly, you were saved – by Long Feng and Pythos. They're here too, but they're under heavy guard until Dad's satisfied that they're no danger to us."

The Southern Water Tribe?

Aang sprang up again. "But what about Azula! And the Autumnal Equinox?"

Katara bit her lip. "I don't know…"

She fed Aang the rest of his stew, before setting the bowl aside and kneeling down next to him. Her fingers traced the arrow tattooed on his arm.

"I was worried you wouldn't wake up," she admitted, as her hand found his cheek, gently tracing circles around it. Aang closed his eyes and enjoyed the tingling sensation her fingertips gave him.

Katara's lips found his, and for a moment he allowed himself the pleasure of the kiss. But then his eyes shot open and he quickly broke the connection.

Katara seemed somewhat disappointed. "What's the matter?"

"I – I have to go." He swung his legs over the side of the bed, ignoring the pain in his back.

"You have to rest," Katara protested.

Aang ignored her, pulling his orange and yellow clothes on hurriedly. He roughly tugged his boots on before grabbing his staff and exiting the tent flap, leaving a very confused Katara behind.

"Was it something I said?"

…

"Alright men! Battle may be upon us at any minute, so I want you maggots to form ranks!"

The toddlers just stood there, their chubby cheeks rosy and plump. One was barely able to stand, and he fell on his bottom into the soft, powdered snow.

Sokka was exasperated. "Are you questioning my orders, soldier?"

The toddler picked some gunk out of his nose and flicked it. It landed in Sokka's hair. Sokka's eye twitched. "Insubordination! That's a day in the brig for you, private!"

Another little boy raised his hand.

"What," Sokka asked irritably.

"My Mommy says I can only stay out until noon."

"M-mommy? This is the military! There's no _Mommy _here to kiss your booboos!"

"Actually, she's standing right over there." A young woman waved merrily at her son from a nearby snow ridge.

Sokka facepalmed. "Alright everyone, I want ten laps around the village – stat!"

Groaning, the kids formed a line and began jogging around the outskirts of the tribe. Grumbling to himself, Sokka turned around to see Aang grinning broadly at him.

Sokka's eyes lit up at the sight of the monk. "AANG!" In a flash, Sokka had gripped the young Avatar in a bone crushing hug. "Thank goodness you're okay! We were all so worried!"

_"I'm glad to see you too," _Aang wheezed. _"But do you think you could let me go? You're kind of crushing my spleen."_

"Sorry." Sokka let go and Aang took in several gulps of air. The Water Tribe warrior motioned with his hand. "Walk with me."

The two friends made their way through the village, Sokka pointing out all the renovations being made by the Waterbenders who had come from the Northern Water Tribe. Pakku was barking orders, only to wince when Gran Gran shouted his name to come in for lunch.

"Is everyone else around," Aang inquired.

Sokka nodded. "Zuko, Mai, Toph, Jin and Zuko's mom are around … somewhere. They'll be happy to see you up and about … except maybe Toph."

Aang seemed puzzled. "Toph? Why wouldn't she be pleased to see me?"

Sokka hesitated. "Well … let's just say she's a little … mad at you."

"Mad? For what?"

"Well, she feels kinda betrayed by you. I mean, you did just kind of walk out on us at Ba Sing Se."

"But I came back… at the Fire Nation. I came back."

"Well, no offense … but that was coincidence. A fortunate coincidence. But we just happened to be there when you showed up."

Aang swallowed tightly and nodded. "I suppose it was … but I'm back now."

Sokka eyed him. "Are you?"

The monk raised his arms. "I'm here! You couldn't be talking to me if I wasn't!"

"Here in the flesh, maybe. But is the old Aang here?"

"I'm still the same person, Sokka."

Sokka hesitated again. "Not quite, Aang. Not quite…" His voice trailed off, and he avoided looking at Aang. "You've become … distant."

Aang shook his head. "I'm the Avatar. You have to understand, it's nothing personal. I can't … I have to distance myself from my friends."

"Why?"

"Because my friends are my weak spot. And … our enemies may use you guys as a way to destroy me. Just like the Fire Nation did with the Fake Zuko."

Sokka seemed shocked. "Is that what this is about? We aren't your weakness. In fact, I might go as far as to say we're your greatest assets."

"You don't understand, Sokka. If it came down to it … defeating Azula and saving your life … I choose saving you over saving the rest of the world … Because …"

Sokka seemed to understand. "Because I would do the same for you."

There were tears in both their eyes.

"Exactly," responded Aang. "I'm sorry, Sokka. But this is a war I have to fight alone."

"No! I can't accept that, and neither can anyone else. We don't care what you say – we're going to fight this war alongside you. Team Avatar to the end!"

Aang looked away despondently. "I'm afraid that … Team Avatar has to come to an end."

Sokka was waving his arms around. "I'm sick of this depressed junk, Aang! All of us are far stronger together than alone!"

"But my feelings for you could … I might -."

Sokka was in Aang's face, poking him angrily in the chest. His voice was cracking. "When will you understand Aang – this isn't about _you_ anymore! There's much more going on than just your emotional instability. The world is coming to an end – _why can't you see it_?"

The monk shied away from the warrior. "I _can _see it, Sokka. That's _why_ it has to be this way! You guys have done enough for me, and I thank you for it. But now … now I have to finish my journey alone."

And with that, turned and walked towards the center of the tribe, leaving Sokka standing there, more befuddled than usual.

…

Aang parted the flap to a tent, and entered in. There was a glowing fire in the center, and the heat was trapped inside. There, on the other side of the tent, lay the very man Aang wanted to see.

His chest was rising and falling, and Aang realized he was asleep. Deciding to visit him later, the Avatar began to turn.

_"Wait,"_ came a weak voice, and Aang faced him.

Guru Pathik was standing up in his yak skin bed, stretching. "What can I help you with, young Aang?"

Hesitating, the monk stated his purpose. "The other day … in the Fire Nation … you mentioned a way to defeat Azula for good."

Pathik eyed the Avatar for a moment, and then tears welled in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Aang. I taught the Princess to master the Dark Avatar State."

"You had no choice…"

"But I didn't teach her everything. I didn't tell her about the Dark Avatar State's weakness."

Aang leaned forward eagerly. This could be it. A way to defeat Azula and end this war once and for all. "What is it? How can I stop her?"

"The Dark Avatar State has the same weaknesses as the Avatar State. Kill the Princess in the Dark Avatar State – and the Dark Avatar Cycle will cease. Just like the Avatar Cycle."

The walls seemed to be closing in on the Airbender. "I – I have to kill Azula?"

"I know you don't want to hear this, Aang. I know that you want to take away her bending the way you did to Ozai. You plan to use Energybending to seal the Dark Avatar State into the Spirit World … but there is a more permanent way. You can end the Dark Avatar Cycle – permanently."

"I … I don't know if I can, Guru. I don't know if I have what it takes – not just power-wise. Emotionally. I don't think I have it in me to kill. I was always taught …" His voice trailed off. He was always taught by the monks not to kill.

But Gyatso was a traitor. Should he really listen to what he had to say now?

Perhaps killing Azula would be the only way to end this. Perhaps he _did_ have it in him. Perhaps he could kill – just this once.

Perhaps.

He bowed low in respect to the old man. "Thank you, Guru. I will keep in mind what you have told me." And he turned and left the tent, rubbing his temples, more lost and confused than ever.

…

A warning horn blared throughout the Water Tribe. People emerged from their tents, looking around.

Katara exited her tent with Gran Gran. "What's going on?"

Sokka was already running past her to the harbor, followed by Zuko and Toph. Ursa was out next, sheathing her broadswords over her back.

The entire tribe gathered at the harbor, watching a vessel emerge from the mist. Aang joined the crew. He deliberately made an effort to get closer to Toph, but she shied away from him, moving to stand next to Zuko.

"Are they Fire Nation," Katara asked. Sokka flicked open a small telescope and looked through it.

"I can't tell. There isn't any insignia." He closed the telescope. "We can't take any chances. Everyone be prepared for whatever comes off that boat."

The ship slowly docked at the harbors, its anchors sending ripples up into the chilled waters.

Everyone waited with baited breath as a ramp lowered, and figures appeared at the top and began descending towards them.

Ursa's fingers curled around the hilt of her sword, ready to pull it out in a flash. But Katara and Sokka were already blasting forth past her.

"DAD!"

The brother and sister duo leaped into their father's arms, and Hakoda's face was positively beaming. They embraced in a group hug, faces pressed against each other, their tears mixing.

It was a happy moment, and even Mai managed a small smile at the sight.

After what seemed like an eternity of hugging and kissing, Hakoda managed to tear himself out of his children's arms. "I've missed you guys so much." His face was glowing.

Bato appeared, leading several grown men from the Southern Water Tribe. Hakoda motioned towards the top of the ship. "We also made a short stop to a certain island just outside the Earth Kingdom. There's someone that I'm sure Sokka will be thrilled to see."

Sokka's heart was beating as a young woman appeared at the top of the deck. "SUKI!"

The boy was like a speeding bullet as he ran and scooped the Kyoshi Warrior up into his arms, planting kisses all over her lips and cheeks.

Their moment was ended as a blur with a ponytail sped up to them, getting right in Sokka's face.

"Heeey, cutie!"

Sokka's eyes were raised. "Oh … you brought Ty Lee."

Suki shrugged. "And the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors. Based on what your father told us, you might need all the help you can get."

Sokka backed up away from Ty Lee, placing Suki between himself and her. But Ty Lee's face scanned the crowd below and …

"EEEEEEEEEHHHHH!"

Mai's eyes widened. "Oh no. No, no, no, no -!"

Mai was lifted off the ground as Ty Lee lifted her off the ground in a bone crushing hug. "Oh my goodness, Mai! It is so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so ,so ,so, so goooood to see you!" Her hug tightened and it sounded like some of Mai's bones were cracking. She finally released the gloomier girl, and Mai bristled as Ty Lee began chattering in her ear nonstop.

"I've missed you so much! We need to have a girl's night out! Oh my goodness, we're going to have a sleepover tonight! Just like the old days except no Azula! Aaand … I can give you a makeover!"

For the first time, Mai looked genuinely scared.

Zuko, meanwhile, made his way over to Hakoda, introducing himself respectfully. "My Uncle didn't come with you by any chance, did he?"

Hakoda shook his head. "I'm sorry, Zuko, but no one has heard from General Iroh for a while."

This shook Zuko up. His uncle was supposed to arrive with members from the Order of the White Lotus.

Hakoda, meanwhile, began gathering his gear up as he moved towards the tribe. "Regardless, the war has started up again, and this time, we're going to need everybody we have if we are to have any chance of stopping it."

…

There was a great celebration that night to commemorate the return of the men of the Southern Water Tribe. Several bonfires had been lit, food was cooked (Sokka watched intently to make sure every cut of meat was prepared properly) and everyone had an all-around good time.

They had to. This might well have been the last few days they had together.

Sokka was roasting a freshly killed yak over a spitfire, carefully sautéing it before ravenously tearing into it. Mai and Jin watched with disgust, while Suki pressed two fingers to her lips, suppressing her giggles.

Suddenly a piece of meat got lodged in his throat and he began choking. There was a frantic struggle to help him. Hakoda was there, giving him the Heimlich maneuver. Sokka coughed up the offending piece, which went flying through the air and landed on Pakku. The old man scowled.

Everyone laughed at this episode, and Sokka, now quite embarrassed, sat down amid the crowd and began eating more slowly. Suki came over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. A warm smile came across his face, and he intertwined his fingers with hers. "Come on, Suki – I want to show you something." The two got up, and left the party.

Aang was the only one who couldn't quite enjoy the party. He hung back, avoiding getting too close to anybody.

How could they party? Didn't they realize that the Autumnal Equinox was closer than ever? Or that the Fire Nation was conquering the world. Or that Azula was now virtually indestructible? Didn't that bother them? Weren't they worried?

Aang needed some time alone to process everything that had happened – everything that was going to happen. He turned and walked away from the party.

Katara noticed Aang leaving from where she was sitting. She excused herself from the party, motioning to Gran Gran that she would be back later.

She left the party, following behind the lonely monk.

…

Momo circled the Avatar, before landing on his shoulder. Aang stroked his ears absentmindedly. He was walking on a ridge, which was overlooking the party. He watched the happy families, which were now reunited.

Below, he caught sight of something that made him stop in his tracks. It was a father, embracing his son and daughter.

Aang had always fantasized about his life in the future. At times he would dream of being married to Katara, having children with her, being one big happy family.

But it was merely a fantasy, nothing more.

His duty as Avatar precluded his desires. That family was like a leaf in the wind, carried away from him to realms far away.

The sun had set by now, and the stars were clear in the sky. He continued walking in thought, not realizing how far away he had wandered from the tribe. He continued along the northern ridge, about a mile away from the tribe, when he heard voices come below.

"Sokka … it's beautiful."

Aang looked down to see Sokka, his arms wrapped around Suki's waist, the both of them looking up at the sky. He followed their gaze to see a beautiful sight in the sky. Aurora borealis. The dancing lights seen at the North and South Poles. Phosphorescent shades of red, blue, green and yellow danced in the sky, evoking the old tales. It was said that the spirits of past Avatars would dance in the sky at night. The force of their dance would cause beautiful explosions of color.

The monk's eyes wandered back down to see Sokka and Suki, fingers intertwined, leaning in close to each other. Their lips met, and Sokka pulled Suki tightly against him, never wanting to let her go.

Aang couldn't look anymore. That kind of love – that kind of passion – was something he desired greatly.

It was something he would never be allowed to experience. Koh was right – allowing himself to indulge in that kind of love would destroy him. He would be forced to live out his life in solitude – for the good of the world.

He continued on along the ridge, nearly slipping as he went along. He came to a large hill – the very hill he and Katara had gone penguin sledding down at their first meeting. And at the bottom – was where they shared their first adventure.

He struggled down the slope, nearly breaking his neck several times. And there it was. The crashed Fire Nation ship which had washed up along the ice plates. He and Katara had entered this ship and become entrapped inside. They had also accidentally set off the very flare that alerted Prince Zuko to their location.

Shrugging, he decided to take a stroll down memory lane. Why not? That was all he had left of Katara now. Just memories of better times.

He gingerly stepped inside, wandering aimlessly through the deserted halls, careful to avoid any booby traps that might still be remaining.

Then he came to it. The very prison cell he and Katara had managed to get themselves trapped in.

That was a better time. He was innocent, naïve about his duties as Avatar. He used to like to imagine that that little adventure was their first date. He was about to turn around to leave when he heard a voice behind him.

"Hey."

Aang turned around slowly, knowing who the owner of the voice was, dreading to see her face to face.

"H-hey Katara. H-how'd you know I was here?"

"I've been trailing you since you left the party. I was worried about you."

"Yea, well, you don't have to be." He made to step around her, but she blocked his exit.

"Oh no, you're not dodging me this time."

"I'm not trying to -."

Katara narrowed her eyes, and Aang knew all too well it was useless to resist. "You can't keep pushing me away, Aang. Every time I get close to you, you back away. Every time I try to hold your hand, you shake me off. Every time I try to kiss you, you push me away. I need to know what's going on. Was it something I did? Did I hurt you in some way?"

Aang looked up and he saw genuine pain the Waterbender's eyes. He looked down, unable to look into those cerulean pools anymore. "It wasn't anything you did…"

"Then what? What is it?"

"We – we can't be together, Katara. We just can't."

"Care to explain why not?"

Aang paused. He hadn't prepared himself for this conversation. He had hoped he would never have to have it in the first place. He had hoped that by giving Katara the cold shoulder, she would get the message and back off.

"I'm the Avatar. And as Avatar, my first priority is to the world. If I get involved romantically, it'll interfere. And I don't think I'll be able to separate my love for you from my duties as Avatar." He looked up. "I've already proven that I can't. That day in Ba Sing Se – when Azula took over the Dai Li and carried out her coup – I was supposed to be learning how to master the Avatar State. And I gave up on my training to come save you."

"But that doesn't -."

"It shows that if it came down to it, I would put your life before the world. I can't put myself in that vulnerable position."

Katara's hands were on her hips and she was shaking her head profusely. "I think you're being ridiculous. In case you haven't noticed, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself. I'm no damsel in distress."

"I know! But … we just can't be together. Remember when I saw the Fake Zuko kissing you? Do you remember the mental and emotional state it put me in? I almost destroyed Ba Sing Se, Katara! I almost destroyed it because of my feelings for you! So I have to suppress them."

"So what does that mean? If the Avatar isn't supposed to love – what does that make him?"

Aang remained silent.

Katara continued on. "I'll tell you – it makes you nothing more than a lifeless doll. No emotional attachments? You might as well just be a machine!"

"It's not like that, Katara."

"It is most certainly like that! To deny love – to deny that part of you – whatever it is, it isn't human. And I'm not sure that that's exactly what the Avatar is supposed to be about." She looked at him with compassion, and her tone changed as she brushed his arm with her fingers.

"I love you, Aang. I don't care what you say, or think. I want to be there with you, helping you save the world. And I know, if it did come down to saving me or the world … I know you would do the right thing."

Aang turned around. "But _I'm _not sure I'll do the right thing. Face it, Katara – this is how things have to be. I can't love you – I just _can't_! We can't be together."

Her eyes brimmed with tears, and her voice was cracking. "But I love you."

Those words – like a knife.

"You have to forget about me, Katara." Just saying those words added more knives to his chest. His heart was tearing apart. "Just forget about me and move on. Find someone else. You and I … we were just a short lived dream. Nothing more."

There was a tense moment of complete silence. Aang could hear his own heartbeat. The noise of it seemed to be banging him on the head.

He heard footsteps. She was actually leaving. There was so much he wanted to say. He wanted to confess that he loved her with all he had, but he couldn't.

Her footsteps grew more distant.

Sometimes it is what has been left unsaid that hurts us more than what is said.

Aang lowered his head and wiped the tears from his eyes.

…

It was starting to snow when Aang and Momo exited the crashed vessel. Katara's footprints back towards the tribe were beginning to become covered up. Aang didn't particularly want to return to the tribe. He needed to continue walking; to clear his head.

After trudging about another mile, he realized he was further away from the tribe than he had ever wandered before. The snow was becoming more intense and he was beginning to regret leaving Appa behind at the tribe.

Momo suddenly flew off his shoulders, pointing and chattering to something in the distance.

Was it … a building? How strange.

He followed the lemur towards the building, before realizing what it was. It was a Water Temple. He remembered, before the war ever started, the Southern Water Tribe used to be a sprawling metropolis like its sister tribe. It would only make sense that there would be a temple here.

It had fallen into complete ruin and decay. Momo kept tugging at his sleeve, apparently wanting him to enter. Shrugging, he followed his pet into the remains of the temple.

The floors inside were covered with snow, and several walls had caved in. Momo dragged him through two twin doors, and into the sanctuary. There, a statue of Avatar Kuruk stood, falling apart.

He moved closer to the statue, when he noticed that the eyes had suddenly begun to glow. The ground began to quake.

"What the -?"

Aang scooped up Momo in his arms, and the next thing he knew, he had disappeared from this world.

Vanished without a trace.

…

A lone Fire Nation warship sailed throughout the seas by the Southern Water Tribe. Puffs of black smoke ascended into the night air, turning the snowflakes into a black mixture of snow, dirt and ash.

A line of soldiers stood on the deck in ranks, as their Commander gave them orders. "This is to be a quick operation. We are to launch a quick strike on the Water Tribe – not to destroy them. Merely to gauge their numbers for when the final strike _does_ come."

He stopped pacing, glaring at them. "However, there is someone of particular interest to the Princess. The chieftain's daughter, Katara. The Princess, it seems, has a personal score to settle with her. And it just so happens that she's the Avatar's little girlfriend. Capture her."

The soldiers saluted as the Captain watched the Water Tribe growing nearer to them.

…

Aang's eyes slowly opened. He was on his back, and Momo was curled up into his chest. He slowly staggered to his feet; the lemur was also quiet disoriented.

The monk raised a hand to his bald head. "What a day…" His eyes came into focus, and he found himself in …

"The Spirit World!"

But there was something wrong. The Spirit World seemed somehow … off. Glitched. He could see trees everywhere, but they were decaying, as though someone sucked them dry of all life force. He could also see empty holes, seemingly appearing all around him.

Something was most definitely wrong.

_"It is all your fault, Avatar."_

Aang spun around, to see the monkey spirit, Enma, sitting on a rock, meditating. His eyes were closed but he still spoke.

_"It is your duty to maintain balance between the worlds. But the Spirit World is becoming more unstable. Soon it, and the mortal world, will converge and be no more."_

Aang meandered over to the monkey. "But how is it my fault?"

_"You are failing in your mission."_

"But I'm so close to completing it," Aang protested. "I can stop Azula before the Equinox."

_"I was not merely referring to the Dark Avatar. I was referring to the instability growing inside of you."_

Aang was waving his arms. "Instability?" He could feel a wellspring of anger rising up. "Do you realize how much I sacrificed to keep balance in the world? Do you realize who I had to give up?"

Enma opened one eye to look at the monk. _"Do you know who I am, Avatar?"_

"Some crazy monkey?"

_"No. You know me as Enma, but I go by many names throughout the mortal world. I am the great Monkey King, Sun Wukong. I am Yama, Judge of the Spirits, Chief Arbiter of Justice throughout the Spirit World. I guess you can call me the head honcho." _Both eyes opened, and a solemn look crossed the monkey's face. _"It was I who brought you here."_

"For what?"

_"As Avatar, your duty is to lay aside your wants…"_

"Which I've already done!"

_"Yes. You have. In that, you have succeeded."_

"But then I don't under-."

_"Never forget, that your role in this world is strictly to maintain balance. If you must sacrifice your own happiness in order to do so -."_

"Then so be it. But I don't see what the problem is!"

_"The problem is, you've done it a little _too_ well."_

Suddenly, a long line of Avatars appeared before him, stretching for miles. Aang surmised that every Avatar that ever existed was there. Well, except for one…

Avatars Roku, Kyoshi, Kuruk and Yangchen were particularly illuminated. Roku's face was stern, but his voice was gentle, compassionate. Filled with sorrow.

_"Aang. My dear, dear Aang. Everything that I warned you about has come to pass. Why didn't you listen to me? You have followed in the footsteps of Avatar Ko-Rei to the letter."_

Aang was sputtering. "No I have not! I gave up everything I wanted and loved to do what needed to be done! I'm willing to keep this world safe – no matter what the cost!"

_"Exactly," _Roku responded softly. _"Exactly."_

Avatar Kyoshi stepped forth. _"The tale of Avatar Ko-Rei begins with him in love and experiencing heartbreak. Ko-Rei then decided that his primary duty was to the world, and he became a tyrant in his own right. Not _because _of love or emotional attachments – but because he was willing to do whatever it took to keep the world safe. __Whatever it took.__ He became so emotionally detached from everything and everyone – killing a hundred civilians to stop a brigade of criminals became like swatting a fly."_

"But … but everyone's been telling me to separate myself … sever all emotional relationships …"

It was Avatar Kuruk's turn to shake his head. _"Being the Avatar isn't about _severing _relationships Aang. It's about _building _them."_

"But -."

Avatar Yangchen silenced him. _"Being the Avatar is about putting your duties before your wants and needs, it is true. However, that doesn't necessitate a denial of things like love and friendship. Cutting yourself off from everyone you love won't bring peace to the world. The key to being the Avatar – the key Ko-Rei missed – was finding a way to _balance_ your relationships with your duty."_

Aang remained silent, allowing their words of wisdom to wash over him. "So … so I can … I can be with Katara if I wanted?"

Enma shook his head. _"I'm afraid it's too late. I've already made my decision."_

Aang was looking around. "Decision? What decision?"

Roku looked genuinely sad, and his voice was cracking as he held back his tears. _"I'm very sorry, Aang."_

Enma stood up. _"If you can't put your duties as Avatar before your personal life … and if you continue severing yourself from all you ever loved … if you can't find that balance … then perhaps your role as Avatar should cease."_

The monk's eyes widened, and his heart thudded in his chest. "Cease? But, I don't understand."

_"Forgive us, Aang," _Roku said miserably. _"It is a decision that couldn't be made lightly. The other Avatars and I have decided to remove you from the Avatar Cycle. Per Enma's orders."_

And a tear rolled down Roku's luminescent face.

…

Sokka was roused from his sleep in the middle of the night to the sounds of screaming, fighting, and explosions. He rolled out of his sleeping bag, hurriedly pulling up his boots and slinging his sword over his shoulder.

Suki was there, at the flap of his tent. "Sokka, come quickly!"

He exited to see black snow falling.

"Duck!" Suki grabbed him, shoving him to the ground as an explosion of flame jettisoned over them, just missing their heads.

He looked around. The tribe was in chaos. Dozens of Fire Nation soldiers were invading – but they were met by a number of Water Tribe Warriors, as well as the rest of Suki's Kyoshi Warriors.

With a roar, Sokka threw himself into the midst of the battle.

…

"Aang! Aang!"

Katara hollered at the top of her lungs, her hands cupped around her mouth. Where was he when they needed him? Sure, she was hurt by him, but the tribe needed him desperately right now.

"Aang! Aang!"

Surely he couldn't still be moping? He was an emotional mess, trying to sort himself through his baggage, but yet the Water Tribe was under attack and he was nowhere to be seen.

"Aang! We need you!"

Perhaps he was so far away from the tribe, that he didn't realize it was under assault. Maybe he got caught in the snow and froze…

No. Aang was more resourceful than that. But where was he?

A sudden animalistic groan murmured nearby, and she whirled around.

"Appa!"

She quickly threw her arms around the bison's head, before climbing into his saddle. "We have to find Aang, Appa." She flicked the reigns. "Yip-yip!"

The bison took off from the snow-covered ground, flying straight towards the arctic tundra.

…...

"You can't be serious," was Aang's reply. "You can't remove me from the Avatar Cycle! The Avatar Spirit will have to be reincarnated as a baby – the world will be destroyed before the next Avatar even has a chance to save it! Even before he or she has the chance to talk!"

Enma raised a finger. _"That's where you're wrong, Aang. In extreme situations such as this, we can bypass such limitations. When we removed Avatar Ko-Rei from the Avatar Cycle, we allowed his predecessor to return to earth in the flesh – a full fledged Avatar. One Avatar must be bound in the Spirit World – while the other is allowed to return to life."_

_ "I tried to reason with him, Aang," _lamented Roku. _"I tried to tell him that you can get back on the right track …"_

_ "It's too risky," _Enma hissed. _"This boy could very well be the undoing of us all. No, no. Even if he does defeat the Dark Avatar, he could very well be a liability. He has proven, with his actions at Ba Sing Se, that he is capable of much destruction. We cannot risk him becoming another Ko-Rei."_

Aang was rooted to the spot. He would be forced out of the Avatar Cycle … but perhaps …

Maybe it _was _for the best. He had already destroyed any chance of being with Katara – needlessly, as he had just learned. He didn't want to be alive if it meant not being with her. Perhaps … perhaps if Enma sent Roku back, _he _could deal with Azula…

So the monk made his decision. He kneeled down. Momo was jumping up and down, seemingly trying to get him to change his mind.

"Very well, Enma. I submit to your judgment."

The Monkey King moved to stand over Aang, but found his progress halted by Momo, who stood with his arms stretched, providing a barrier in front of the young monk.

Enma was surprised.

Aang was too, and he felt tears leaking out at the sight of his pet, defending his master. Momo was willing to face down the spirits themselves to protect him.

But then a very strange thing happened.

Momo began glowing with white light, his body began growing, twisting, morphing into something else. The light grew brighter, and both Aang and Enma had to shield their eyes.

It was over in a couple of seconds. The light faded, and everyone looked in suspense to see what had just happened.

There, standing where Momo should have been, was Monk Gyatso.

…

"I can't see a thing in this blizzard." Katara squinted her eyes, wrapping her outer clothing tightly around herself. "What about you, Appa?" She patted the bison on the head.

She had been searching for well over ten minutes. But there was no sign of that monk. No matter what he said to her … she still couldn't stand to see anything happen to him.

But unbeknownst to her, a Fire Nation airship lumbered behind her. It kept its distance, not wanting to be seen or heard.

Aboard the deck, a Yu-Yan archer appeared. His eyes were narrowed, and he waited with patience, measuring the wind speed. After a moment, he lifted a tube up to his mouth, took aim, and blew.

Katara felt a sharp stinging sensation in her neck. She reached up and pulled out – _a dart_!

There was a whizzing sound, and suddenly a dart was lodged into Appa's neck.

Katara was beginning to lose control of her body.

So was Appa. The bison began plummeting hundreds of feet below. Katara could see her vision swimming, and then she saw nothing at all.

…

The Yu-Yan archer and two Imperial Firebenders stood over Katara and Appa's prone forms. One of the Firebenders scooped up the girl, hoisting her over his shoulder. He stopped as he watched the bison on the ground.

"What about this beast?"

"Leave him," the other responded. "Our objective is the girl. Give the signal to our men fighting those water savages."

The Yu-Yan archer lit an arrow on fire, raised it up, and shot it straight up into the sky.

The arrow exploded in the air, creating a dazzling fireworks display.

"No time to enjoy the show," the second Firebender huffed. "Let's get this girl back to the captain."

…

Sokka, Suki, Toph, Mai, Zuko, Ursa and Ty Lee were locked in combat when they noticed the fireworks going off over the ridge.

The Firebenders they were battling suddenly disengaged and ran to their docked warship. To everyone's utter puzzlement, the Firebenders retreated, escaping on their boat.

Sokka just stood there, mouth dropped as low as his waist. "Did … did we just win?"

Toph shook her head, annoyed, stomping her specially constructed snow shoes. "Darn, and I was ready to clobber them too."

"But you can't Earthbend in the snow, Toph."

"Shut up, Snoozles."

…

Once the Fire Nation ship was a mile away, it slowed to a stop. The airship glided out of the snow and hovered over the boat. A rope ladder dropped from the side, and three of its occupants descended. One was carrying the unconscious body of a girl.

"Here she is, Commander."

The Commander touched Katara's limp body, feeling for a pulse. "Good. She's still alive. We'll take her to the Fire Nation … the Princess wants to … _play with her_ once the Avatar is vanquished. Deposit her in the brig."

"Yes sir."

…

"Katara! Katara!"

Sokka, Jin, Mai, Ty Lee, Suki and Zuko searched the tundra for Katara. Toph struggled in her new snow shoes, grumbling about the ice and "fuzzy vision." Zuko wasn't quite used to having to wear rough, furry Water Tribe clothing, but it was better than freezing. He also had to warm himself up with Firebending.

"She couldn't have gone too far, even on Appa," Sokka commented. "We have to keep searching."

"What about Aang," inquired Jin.

Toph spat into the ground. "Who cares? He probably did what he does best – run out on his friends!" She crossed her arms in a huff.

Suki, meanwhile, pointed something out. "That tiny hill – it has horns. I'm pretty sure hills don't have horns!"

Sokka ran to the snow covered "hill", quickly brushing off snow, revealing fur. "This is no hill guys!"

In a matter of moments, the snow was cleared, revealing Appa, who was curled up into a ball. "I don't think he can move," Toph was saying.

"There's a small puncture in his neck," Suki noted.

Sokka dug around in the snow nearby, before lifting a tiny dart up for everyone to notice. "Look at the point. It's tipped with something."

"Let me see," Zuko asked, taking hold of the dart. He observed it carefully. "I've seen this before. Shirshu saliva. Toph and I came across a Fire Nation group tipping weapons with shirshu spit. It has paralyzing effects."

"So Appa's going to remain like this?"

"Not for long. It wears off after a while. We just need to make sure Appa stays warm before he's well enough to travel again. Someone needs to stay and watch Appa while the rest of us continue to search for Katara." Zuko aimed his fire and created a soft flame. Sokka created a small tarp to cover it so the snow wouldn't fall on it.

"Guys, I don't think we might need to continue searching for Katara." Suki was holding up a second dart.

"Another one!" Sokka's eyes were bulging.

"What does that mean," Jin asked.

"It means Katara's been captured."

…

Aang had gotten over his initial shock at seeing Momo transform into his old mentor and was now listening as Enma was screaming himself hoarse at the monk. The other Avatars, naturally, remained silent, though Aang noticed a small smile crossing Avatar Roku's face.

Enma was beside himself. _"You broke our agreement, Gyatso! We allowed you to be reincarnated as that lemur so you could keep an eye on the Avatar during his journey – but you were never supposed to reveal yourself!"_

_ "Calm down, Enma, my old friend, before you defecate yourself again."_

_ "That only happened once! And you have no business interfering here, Gyatso!"_

The aged monk stroked his beard, his eyes twinkling with a mixture of merriment at aggravating the monkey and deep sense of regret. _"My place or not – I will not allow you to remove Aang from the Avatar Cycle."_

Enma began sputtering, while a look of relief was spreading across the faces of the other Avatars. _"You cannot dictate to me! My decision is law!"_

_ "Your decision – and logic – are flawed!"_

_ "How dare you!"_

_ "Aang is not the problem, Enma. He is the one person qualified to stop Azula." _Gyatso's eyes roved the crowd of Avatars. _"How many of you faced trials and confusion. How many of you struggled to do the right thing? And yet you want to condemn Aang for what you are all guilty of?"_

All of the Avatars looked down, ashamed. Roku seemed at a loss for words in the presence of his old friend.

_"Aang may have many faults. But he is courageous, headstrong, and he loves with everything he has. It was his ability to empathize – to have compassion – that allowed him to remove the Fire Lord's bending capabilities instead of killing him. Which you all wrongfully advised him to do."_

_ "We were wrong then, Gyatso." _Aang was shocked to see the formerly strong and proud Roku reduced to such shame and humility. Roku turned to Aang. _"Perhaps Gyatso is right! Perhaps we were a little … hasty with our pronouncements. Forgive us Aang."_

Looking into Roku's ashamed eyes, Aang immediately found himself forgiving him.

Enma was jumping up and down in fury. _"I am the Monkey King! You have no authority to -!" _He was cut short as Hei Bei appeared and blasted him with more halitosis. Enma's eyes watered, his eyebrows sizzled and he fell over, stiff as a board.

_"Point taken," _he admitted.

Gyatso slowly turned from that scene to face Aang. Aang backed away, unsure of what to say or do. Gyasto had betrayed him the past – was using him to conquer the world. But here he was, defending him to Enma and the other Avatars. He couldn't speak.

Gyatso's eyes misted. _"Hello, Aang."_

Unsure, Aang gave a half-hearted wave.

_"I see you discovered my, uh, previous intentions for you."_

Aang nodded and managed to find his voice. "How could you, Gyatso? I trusted you! You were my best friend! More than that! You were like … like a father to me!"

His words reduced Gyatso to tears, and he gently wiped his eyes. _"I'm so sorry, Aang. So sorry. I never meant for it … I really don't know what to say or do."_

"Then explain. Explain to me why you were planning to use me to take over the world." He folded his arms. The anger was returning again.

_"It was madness, I admit. But the monks were afraid. War was on the horizon. Fire Lord Sozin was building up his armies. A couple of monks and I decided that in order to save the world … we had to conquer it. We came to believe that only an Air Theocracy could bring peace to the world. But I was wrong. I understand now. The nations are divided into four for a reason. That is why the Fire Nation's quest for global domination is doomed to failure."_

Gyatso sighed, rubbing his temples. _"I was such a fool. I was to groom you to be my weapon. I gained your trust, played Pai Sho with you, defended you against the Elders … but I was fashioning you into my tool. But then, something happened that I did not plan on…"_

This gained Aang's interest. "What? What happened?"

Gyatso looked at him regretfully, his face twisted with pain. _"As we played Pai Sho … as we practiced Airbending drills … as I taught you my Air Scooter technique … something happened." _He kneeled down, his arms on Aang's shoulders. _"I grew to care for you, Aang. I began to see you less and less as my weapon and more and more as my only son. The son I always wanted, but never had._

_ "I decided to renege on my allies. They were none too pleased, but I was not going to let you become a killer. I was determined to keep you with me, keep you as my son … I even challenged the Elders, when they wanted to send you away to the Eastern Air Temple._

_ "But then … the worst day of my life occurred. You ran away. You, my son, left me."_

Aang choked down a sob. He could feel his heart warming towards his mentor.

Gyatso continued with his story. _"After you left, the Fire Nation attacked the other Air Temples. Before they attacked our temple, I left behind my journal in the hopes that one day you would return to read it – and thereby find clues that would lead you to the Fifth Air Temple. And any surviving Air Nomads._

_ "That was also why I tore out the last page. It detailed my confessions. I didn't want you reading it. I couldn't bear to have you know what I was originally planning. But you discovered anyway._

_ "After my death, Enma agreed to allow me to be reincarnated as Momo – to oversee your journey, to aid you as you mastered all four elements and battled the Fire Lord. I also wanted to help you find the Fifth Air Temple, though in the end, there are no Airbenders left."_

Aang nodded mournfully. "I truly am the Last Airbender." He looked up at Gyatso, and could feel such shame and regret coming from him. Aang felt like such a hypocrite being angry at Gyatso – when Aang did things in his life that he certainly wasn't proud of. He felt such compassion and sympathy towards Gyatso – a good hearted monk who had gone so wrong, yet returned to such right. A monk who made mistakes, just like everyone else.

Just like he had.

The next thing Gyatso knew, Aang had thrown is arms around him and was weeping into his shoulder. Gyatso patted the boy on the head, their tears mixing. Aang backed away, smiling at the monk.

"For so long, I was hurt by what you did, and discovering it made me doubt myself and who I really am. But now … I think I _had_ to find out. I had to, because knowing it showed me the meaning of forgiveness."

_"You are wise, Aang," _Gyatso admitted. _"Wise beyond your years. Wiser than I ever was."_

"But the Airbenders are gone now, Gyatso. I'm the only one left. And if Azula kills me … then all of the Air Nomads will be gone for good."

_"It is worse than that, Aang. If Azula kills you, then everyone will be gone for good. The world is on the brink of annihilation, and you are the only one who can reverse it."_

Aang sunk to his knees, letting his emotions run unchecked. "But why did it have to be me? Why did I get saddled with the responsibility of constantly saving the world? There's so much riding on this! I never wanted this! I never wanted any of this! I never wanted to be the Avatar – to have to watch my friends suffer and die!"

Gyatso narrowed his eyes. _"What we wish is irrelevant. We must focus on reality, stare cold truth right in the face, and marched onward, steeled for the future!"_

"And what if the future isn't the future I want?"

_"You mustn't worry about that. The future will come of its own accord, but you must focus on the present!"_

Aang was still looking for excuses, any way to doubt his abilities. "But I'm too young to have to face this!"

Avatar Roku interposed himself into the conversation. _"Age has never limited you before. Your youth didn't stop you from courageously confronting Prince Zuko when he attacked the Southern Water Tribe. It didn't stop you from battling the Fire Nation at the North Pole, or facing Koh the Face Stealer, or Wan Shi Tong, or battling the Dai Li or Fire Lord Ozai."_

"But I didn't do all that alone! I had a lot of help … from my friends."

Roku's eyes twinkled. _"Exactly."_

"But those victories … it was also a matter of luck and coincidence!"

Avatar Yangchen found her voice. _"You think it was all coincidence, Aang? There is no such thing. It was no coincidence that Katara and Sokka happened to find you frozen in the iceberg. It was no coincidence that Prince Zuko was there at that exact moment. It was no coincidence that your paths crossed with Toph's, or that you were forced to confront Azula multiple times throughout your journey. Those things were all the result of providence – to prepare you for the final battle. Avatar vs. Dark Avatar."_

"But what if I'm not strong enough?"

_"No," _Roku replied. _"You _are_ strong enough. Enma and I were wrong. You should not be removed from the Avatar Cycle. You are strong enough to be the Avatar. Stronger than any Avatar before you. Maybe not in terms of power, but in terms of heart. Once you learn to balance your duties with your relationships – bring balance within yourself – then you can bring balance to the universe._

_ "No, Aang. You are stronger than you can imagine."_

…

Sokka and Zuko were pacing in the snow as Appa began to get his strength back. Everyone else sat around, too horrified to think of what might have become of Katara.

That was when they noticed a small shadow flit overhead. The shadow began circling them.

"Oh great," Sokka groaned. "What this time?"

Whatever it was was landing. They could make out wings – no, a glider. It was Aang. And there was something different about him. He was laughing. Momo was circling above, joyfully chattering away in his language.

Aang landed softly in the snow, stroking Momo like an old friend.

"Hey guys, what's up?"

"What do you mean 'what's up'? Where have you been?" Sokka was going ballistic. "You just vanish into thin air, while -."

"I was in the Spirit World."

For once, Sokka stopped talking. "Spirit World?"

"Yea. I had a lot of issues that needed to be worked out, but an old friend set me straight." He winked at Momo.

"Well, that doesn't matter right now!" Sokka was waving his arms furiously. "Katara's been kidnapped by the Fire Nation!"

Aang's face became serious, and he flicked his glider open. "When Appa's ready to move, come find me." And he and Momo took off into the night sky.

"Where are you going? Come back!"

Aang flew up into the sky, leaving Sokka shaking his fist in fury.

…

Aang felt the cool air currents around him, lapping it all in, enjoying the breezy wind, enjoying the freedom of flight.

Momo flew beside him.

It had been so long since he had experienced this playful innocence. He was flying over the Water Tribe, seeing the damage done below. In the distance, there was a ship.

A Fire Nation ship.

"There's our destination Gyatso – I mean, 'Momo'." He gave the lemur another wink. Momo winked back.

In a minute's time he was there, flying faster than he ever had before. He could see Fire Nation crewmen on the deck of the ship. Without any hesitation, he plunged towards the deck like a speeding arrow.

He rolled as he landed on the metal floor, using a gust of air to blow the crewman off their feet. Two of them aimed a jet of fire at him, which he playfully dodged, laughing, remembering how he escaped from Zuko's ship when the Prince had first captured him.

Blasting himself forward with more air, he flew past his assailants, flinging a blast of wind at them. He pitched himself down the stairs, below deck.

He was in an engine room, he realized. And then a devious idea struck him. With an Airbending slice, he severed the engines.

With a screech of gears, the ship ground to a halt.

A squad of troopers entered the engine room, attacking simultaneously.

Aang jumped left and right, up and down, dodging all of their attacks. He spun his hands in a complicated motion, creating an air scooter which he then rode. He bowled over several troopers as though they were kingpins.

He rode his air scooter through the hallways, going up and down the halls, defying gravity in every which way. He laughed merrily at his enemies' futile efforts to catch him, his grey eyes twinkling with the merriment he once had not too long ago.

It was like being dead for a while, and then suddenly coming back. That was how Aang certainly felt.

And there they were. The prison cells.

The masked guard saw him coming. "Hey you – freeze!" Fire jettisoned from his palms. Aang doused it with Waterbending, before freezing him in place. He sauntered over to the guard, and with a casual motion, lifted the ring of keys from his belt.

"Thank you my good sir," he said in a deep voice.

He turned and saw her.

She was watching in silence as Aang approached her cell and tried out several keys before finding the right one. With a _clang_ the prison doors opened and Aang held out his hand.

Katara was regaining her ability to move after being stunned with shirshu saliva, and she gently took the monk's hand.

The next thing she knew, Aang had quickly pulled her into his arms and his lips were crashing against hers.

He kissed her. Furiously. He kissed her like he never kissed her before, and for a moment, they were all that mattered in world. He pulled away from her, and saw the surprise in her eyes.

Intertwining his fingers with hers, he grinned broadly. "Come on! Let's go!" He dragged her out of the prison cell and they rushed towards the deck.

…

Katara clung tightly to Aang's back as they flew away on his glider. Behind them, the crewmen were raising their ballistae armaments, and igniting them.

"Aang, watch out!"

Aang saw the fireballs piercing the night sky – aiming right at him and Katara. He spun his glider in circles, left and right, dodging the attacks.

But now there was a new problem.

The Fire Nation airship was coming straight at him. And a stream of fire was issuing forth from it.

With a sudden jerk to the left, he veered away.

But the airship was not to be outdone. The engineers of the Fire Nation had made the newer models much more maneuverable and capable of incredible, gravity-defying feats.

It was on him even faster than Sokka on meat.

Another jet of flame issued forth, coupled with fireballs from the ballistae armaments below.

Squinting through the snow, Aang saw something in the distance – it was a flying dot. "There," Katara yelled through the howling wind. "It's Appa."

Indeed it was. He was being piloted by Sokka, while Zuko and Toph were in the saddle. Aang and Appa met in midair, and Aang dropped Katara off in the saddle.

"I'll be back in a second," he shouted, before taking to the air again on his glider.

"What's he doing," an incredulous Zuko asked.

Aang had turned around and was veering straight for the stalled boat. He landed, using Airbending to blow the crewmen off their legs, before using Waterbending to freeze them in place.

"Let's see if this works," he hoped as he positioned one of the ballista armaments in place.

He looked up to see the airship zooming at him. Taking a deep breath, he used Firebending to light the fuse on the armament.

KABOOM!

A fireball shot like a cannon out of the armament, went zooming through the air, and – it was a direct hit! It had struck the airship dead on, causing a gaping hole in the side.

The airship spun in the air like a pinwheel, the pilots desperate to regain control. It crashed into the waves with an enormous splash.

Satisfied with himself, Aang flew off on his glider to meet up with his friends.

…

Over the course of the next half hour, several canoes bearing Water Tribe warriors went forth, capturing the Fire Nation crewmen aboard both the boat and airship.

Katara, meanwhile, was standing on a ridge, looking out into the ocean. She was fingering her mother's betrothal necklace, and her mind was on that fateful day when her mother was taken from her forever…

Her private moment was shattered when Aang appeared out of nowhere, covered in snow.

Katara shrieked and almost fell, but Aang caught her by looping his arms around her waist. "You scared me half to death," she breathed. "I thought you were the abominable snowman or something."

"Oh Katara, don't be silly. Everyone knows snowmen are extinct." He paused, his grey eyes searching hers.

Then he lowered his mouth – and met nothing but air.

Katara gently pushed him away from her, leaving Aang puzzled. "What's wrong?"

Katara shook her head. "How can you even ask me that? You can't have forgotten what you said to me earlier. How you can't be with me!"

Aang was sheepish. "I was … wrong, Katara. I thought that being the Avatar meant that we couldn't be together."

"So what's changed?"

"I have."

The Waterbender snorted, placing her hands on her hips. "You broke up with me, Aang. You told me to find someone else. I know you were going through some things, but that truly hurt me. You broke my heart when you said that."

"Then let me fix it," he protested.

Katara held up her hand. "I'm sorry, Aang. It's just … so many things were said … I don't know if these wounds can ever heal."

"But I love you!"

"I know, Aang. But I don't know if we can be together after everything that's happened." She began to walk away.

"Please, Katara – don't walk out on me."

She stopped, her back to him. Both of their eyes were welled up. Her head lowered. "I'm sorry, Aang. I've tried to be patient with you … I tried putting up with everything … but I think … I've finally had enough …"

She continued walking, leaving a heartbroken Aang standing on the ridge.

…

The North Pole was under siege. No one had seen it coming. The Fire Nation attack was a complete surprise.

The Waterbenders quickly tried to regroup, but they were no match. An entire fleet of airships bombed the ice barriers into fine powder. With the barriers guarding the entrance the Northern Water Tribe gone, scores of soldiers rushed into the city.

Then there was an even more fearsome sight in the sky.

The Dark Avatar. Azula had entered the Dark Avatar State, and was laying waste everything in her path. The Waterbenders had no choice but to surrender against her unstoppable onslaught. Those who resisted were shown no mercy.

Ozai stepped onto the battlefield, wearing battle armor and a regal, red cloak. He was flanked by Ying. He leaned over to his general. "Take prisoners wherever you can. Avoid as much bloodshed as possible. These water savages will make excellent additions to our labor camps."

Ying bowed low. "As you wish, Your Highness."

In the next moment, the Chieftain's Hall went up in flames. Ozai watched as the Northern Water Tribe around him burned, and Waterbenders were forced into captivity.

It was then that several masked Imperial Firebenders marched a middle-aged man towards him. Ozai bowed in mock humility. "Ah, Chief Arnook, head of the Northern Water Tribe. Such a pleasure to meet you."

Chief Arnook stared at the Phoenix King in defiance. "What do you hope to gain from all this, Ozai? You will merely incur the wrath of the Avatar once again. Without your bending, I little imagine you can stand up against him."

Ozai's eye twitched.

Arnook caught the unconscious gesture. "Oh yes, Ozai. Your efforts to cover up the fact that you can no longer bend have been useless. You're the laughing stock of the world now."

"Not for long." Ozai raised his hand, and suddenly, one of the Firebenders raised a baton and brought it crashing down on the Chief's head. Arnook yelped, and he collapsed. The Firebenders roughly brought him to his feet, and forced the semi-conscious chieftain to look Ozai directly in the face.

"I think it's time our daughters met, Chieftain." He waved his arm and the Firebenders led Chief Arnook away, leaving Ozai to savor his victory.

…

It was an eternal dance.

Push and Pull.

Tui and La.

The Ocean and Moon Spirits continued their ballet, keeping the tides of the water and the gravity of the moon in check.

Until a shadow fell over them.

With a quick motion, the shadow captured both fish in a bag and held them up in victory.

Azula chuckled as the Ocean and Moon Spirits struggled in her small sack. "Fight all you want," she warned. "But you serve me now."

There was a sudden mist, and a delicate voice rang through the Spirit Oasis.

_"Let them go."_

Azula saw a glowing figure emerge from the sky. She resembled the Chieftain's daughter. But that was impossible.

Princess Yue died almost a year ago.

_"Let them go," _the spirit of Yue declared with more force.

Azula grinned maliciously. "I don't think so."

_"There are certain things you shouldn't tamper with. If you kill any of those spirits – the world will be thrown into chaos. Even the Fire Nation will be destroyed!"_

"Don't be such a dumb-dumb. I'm not going to _kill_ these spirits. I'm not a fool like Admiral Zhao was." She patted the bag with the struggling fish. "But these little babies are going to be a little piece of leverage for the Fire Nation. If anyone opposes us, we will threaten them with the deaths of these fish. So the world will have to submit – or face global destruction!"

_"Princess Azula, I implore you -."_

"Can it, sweetie. I'm in control now. I'd like to see you use some of your spirit magic against me – the Dark Avatar!"

Yue didn't move.

Azula was cackling with laughter. "I knew it! You don't _dare _touch me! Because you know I could kill these little fish – and you would disappear along with them."

Yue shook her head. _"I'm not touching you out of fear. It's out of compassion, Princess."_

This shocked Azula to her core, though she would not show it. "What is this?"

_"I'm holding out for the good in you, Princess."_

"I _am _good! The Fire Nation and I will bring order to this chaotic world!"

_"There is still hope for you, Azula. I pray before this is over, you find some form of humanity within yourself."_

This struck Azula more than anything. "Oh, let me guess. You think I'm a monster! Well I don't care, toots! Think what you like!" She was raving now, spittle flying from her mouth. "My own mother thinks I'm a monster!" There was a pained look on her face. "So why should I care what _you _think?"

She turned and began walking away, sparing one last glance over her shoulder.

That's when she noticed Malu standing beside the ethereal form of Princess Yue. The little girl looked disappointed.

Azula snarled and exited the Spirit Oasis, the two fish in her possession.

But there was something that was nagging at her. She didn't know why, but there was something about the saddened look on Malu's face that really bothered her…

…


	22. Chapter 22: Qigong's Altar

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

…

Book 4:

Air

Chapter twenty-two:

The Airbender Cycle Part II:

Qigong's Altar

…

The messenger hawk flew downward into a graceful nosedive, straight into the center of an occupied town. The citizens of were under quarantine, and several Waterbenders from the Northern Water Tribe were jammed into the crowded town. They were herded into labor camps by Fire Nation troops, who were careful to avoid letting the Earthbenders and Waterbenders near their respective elements.

The hawk alighted on a Fire Nation official's shoulder, depositing a rolled up scroll into his hand. The officer quickly scanned the contents of the scroll, before motioning to his subordinate.

"Gather the prisoners … we have a new Imperial decree for them."

…

The laborers in the camps were ushered into an open space, where the Fire Nation official stood on an elevated stage. He unfurled the scroll, and began reading aloud to the prisoners.

"By decree of Phoenix King Ozai … Firebending is now the only legal bending art allowed. Anyone caught bending any other element but fire will be subject to … _immediate execution! _There will be no incarcerations even considered for the guilty. Just instant death."

The crowd of prisoners began jeering.

"But how can you expect us to mine for ore without Earthbending?"

"Or purify the minerals without Waterbending?"

The Fire Nation official cleared his throat. "You'll just have to do it the old fashioned way. Furthermore, this new royal decree states that you are to all labor from dusk till dawn. You will have food and water rations – but no bending! Besides, those rations are all you're going to get each day, so make them last! There will be no second helpings!"

"But we have elderly people laboring! Surely they'll need more water and food," one brave Earth Kingdom citizen yelled.

"There will be equal rations given to everyone! There will be _no_ exceptions for age, or disability. And you are all expected to put in the same amount of work!"

"But the sick and the elderly … they'll die!"

"Then so be it. If they are so weak that a little bit of labor will kill them … then who needs them? Furthermore, there will be no helping of the sick and the elderly. They are just an inconvenience anyway. Anyone caught sharing their rations, or helping the elderly or sick with their work, will be subject to immediate execution!"

There was a cold chill spreading throughout the labor camp. The Fire Nation had become much more ruthless, the prisoners realized. In the past, the Fire Nation had at least made exceptions for the sick and elderly – now they were willing to allow them all to die off.

It was a new era of tyranny and oppression.

One frightened child looked up at his grandfather, who was coughing and hacking. His grandfather had been sick lately … and much weaker. He hoped that he would be able to make it through this ordeal.

The grandfather seemed to notice his grandson's worried face, and gently patted him on the head. "Don't worry, Kier. I'll be alright. Everything is going to work out just fine, you'll see."

"But Grandpa -."

The grandfather silenced him. "Remember all those stories I used to tell you, Kier? About the wonderful adventures of Penny the Prancing Platypus Bear? Or Smeldgin's Smelly Smarms?"

The boy nodded.

"Think on those things. Stay focused on them, no matter what happens. Never lose your innocence. Never lose hope."

They were being marched back into the labor areas. The boy was shaking his head.

"But Grandpa, how can I keep hope alive? Look what's happening!"

"Keep hope alive – because the Avatar is alive. The Avatar will set things right, you mark my words."

"But Grandpa -."

"No buts." They picked up spades and began shoveling ore. Several guards supervised them, and if anyone tried Earthbending or Waterbending, death would come instantly.

Kier lifted the spade with his tiny hands, and did his best to break through the thick layer of earth. His small fingers were already calloused and blistered, and several of the blisters had already popped. No child's fingers should be that blistered.

His grandfather was still talking to him, but Kier was hardly listening. He could see his grandfather's face bathed in sweat, and the old man was struggling with his tools. The old man didn't complain however. In fact, he kept on talking about the old days as though they weren't imprisoned and being forced to work within an inch of their lives.

He was talking about better days – times of green grass with sweet dew; golden rays of sunshine; clear, crystalline water.

But then he said something that caught his grandson's attention – and also the attention of everyone working alongside them.

"Did I ever tell you about the time I saw an Airbender?"

There was a hush, and a momentary pause in working as several people stopped what they were doing in surprise. A Fire Nation troop menaced towards them, and they all hurried back to work. But they kept their ears open, hoping to hear more of what the old man was saying.

Kier was speechless, but he continued to shovel heavy coal out of the way. "But the Airbenders are extinct, Grandpa."

"Perhaps they are … perhaps not. Who's to say either way? But all I know is, I saw something quite strange that day."

"Tell me, Grandpa."

"It was decades ago. I was a younger man, and our town was having our annual feast celebrations. All the young men would have contests to see how many fish they could catch for the feast. I was a feisty thing then, and I was interested in impressing your grandmother. Boy-howdy, she was the most beautiful woman alive – your mother took after her.

"Anyway, I hadn't caught a single fish, so I was growing pretty frustrated. So I rowed further downstream, away from all the other anglers. But the current picked up, and carried my boat further downriver than I'd ever been before. My boat crashed into a rock, and was destroyed. But boy, I clung to that rock with every fiber of my being. But the current was too strong. I thought I was finished.

"But then I saw it."

The boy's eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Saw what?"

"I can't say for sure. I saw something in the sky, flying. It was very unusual. I'd never seen anything like it before in my life, and I tell you, I'll never forget it until the day I die. I thought it was a bird, but I couldn't be sure. The sun was pretty bright, much like today. I couldn't make out what it was, but it wasn't like any bird I'd ever seen. As it flew overhead, I swore that I was looking at a man. A flying man.

"I didn't have time to look at it, as I lost my grip on the rock and the current carried me downstream. I lost consciousness, but when I came to, I was back in my town. Your grandmother was nursing me back to health. That was our first date." He winked.

"Was it an Airbender? Did the Airbender save you, Grandpa?"

"To this day, I'll never be sure if it was an Airbender, or some new, undiscovered creature. It was a miracle I even survived the ordeal. I don't how or why, but something strange was going on that day. I guess no one will ever solve the mystery. But I prefer to think that it was an Airbender. I like to think that he saved me. Sometimes, especially after your grandmother died, I like to lay awake at night. When I'm cold and lonely in my bed, I like to think that there's an Airbender out there watching over me … like a guardian angel."

The boy was excited, but he continued working. That is always the effect of a grandfather's stories. To bring excitement, and also hope.

The boy ground his teeth as he heaved another shovel-full of earth. "Do you think he's watching over us, Grandpa? Our own guardian angel?"

The grandfather watched the rest of the Earthbenders laboring alongside the Waterbenders. One Earthbender collapsed due to heatstroke – and no one was allowed to help him or offer him water. He looked away.

"I like to think so, my boy. I like to think so."

…

The noise outside of his tent stirred Aang out of his uneasy sleep. From the sound of it, everyone in the Southern Water Tribe was busy, as people were angrily barking orders to each other, laughing, talking about what luggage to bring.

Luggage?

Were they going somewhere?

The monk slid out of his sleeping bag, pulling on his orange and yellow clothes. He pulled his staff to him with Airbending, before parting the flap of his tent and exiting. Many Water Tribe warriors were gathering up supplies and weapons, and were marching onto large boats.

He found Sokka barking orders at a bunch of little kids. "What's going on," the monk asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes.

"Dad received a messenger hawk in the middle of the night," explained Sokka. "It was from Zuko's uncle. He says that we are to gather as many warriors as we can and meet him at the islands near the Southern Air Temple. So hurry up and get packed – we're leaving within the hour."

"I don't have much to pack, Sokka. Just my staff and the clothes on my back."

"Well, go see if Zuko or somebody needs help!"

Aang turned and headed for Zuko's tent. On the way, he passed Katara's tent. The Waterbender was emerging with Pakku and Gran Gran. Their eyes met for a minute, before Katara quickly looked away, her eyes misted over.

Aang looked down at the ground, his heart feeling shattered. Last night he had finally let his feelings for Katara out in the open, but she shot him down. She was hurt by his words and actions, and in a way he couldn't blame her.

But why couldn't she understand what he was going through?

He moved towards Zuko's tent. He was about to enter, when he heard voices come from the inside.

It was Zuko and his mother, Ursa.

"I just don't understand, Zuko. You have so much potential. You can do so much better!"

"But I love Mai, Mom! Why can't you see how happy she makes me?"

"Happy? That girl never cracks a smile!"

"It's just … she's had a rough childhood…"

"And how come she never kisses you in public – or holds your hand for that matter?"

"Mai's not comfortable with public displays of affection, Mom. But in private -."

Ursa interrupted him. "In private? Oh please tell me you two haven't -."

"Of course not, Mom!"

"I'm sorry, dear. It's just that … I want what's best for you, that's all."

"I know. But Mai is what's best for me. I know it."

With that, Zuko exited the tent. Aang quickly busied himself with whistling, making look like he was just passing by and hadn't heard a thing.

"Don't play that innocent act with me, Aang."

Aang grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

Zuko waved him away. "Don't worry about it." He ran a hand through his thick hair. "It's just … being in a relationship is so difficult."

Aang snorted. "You're telling me."

The older boy eyed him suspiciously. "Sooo … did you and Katara make up?"

A crestfallen look crossed Aang's face. "Not exactly … in fact, I think we just broke up."

Zuko's warm hand found his shoulder. "I'm sorry to hear that, buddy. Katara can be pretty fiery for a Waterbender. Just give it time … she'll cool off."

"I hope you're right."

"I am. But in the meantime, we have to hurry and get packed up. My uncle's gathered some allies … he's putting together a resistance."

The two began walking through the tribe. "Do you think we can win," the monk asked.

Zuko merely shrugged. "I don't know …"

They passed the tent shared by the girls, and the flap opened. Jin emerged, helping Toph walk. The blind Earthbender was grumbling.

"Stupid snow. I can't see a foot in front of me – and I hate these snow shoes!" She stomped her feet furiously in the cold, white powder.

Zuko put his hands on his hips. "Well then I have some good news for you, Toph. We're going to the islands by the Southern Air Temple."

Toph raised an eyebrow. "Islands?"

"Islands," Zuko repeated. "With a nice archipelago, beaches …"

"Sand?" The little girl rubbed her hands together. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go now!"

A flirty look crossed Jin's face. "A beach huh? Wait 'till you see me in my bikini, Zuko! And maybe if you're good, I'll let you help me put some suntan lotion on …"

Zuko, Aang and Toph all seemed disturbed.

It was at that moment that Mai emerged from the tent, fingers in her ears. Ty Lee was following her, chatting incessantly in her ear. Jin and Toph both shuddered.

"Do you ever shut up," Jin finally asked.

Ty Lee looked as though she had been slapped across the face. "Excuse me, but this is a private conversation – one that doesn't involve boyfriend-stealing hussies!"

Jin's eye twitched. "Boyfriend-stealing hussy?"

Ty Lee put her hands on her hips. "I've been watching you shamelessly throwing yourself at Zuko! Trust me, I'm an expert at flirting! And I'll have you know that Zuko is happily dating Mai – and if you try to come between them …" her eyes narrowed dangerously … "I'll destroy you!"

There was a moment of electricity between the two girls, and Zuko and Aang quickly put themselves between them. "Mai, why don't we go for a walk," Zuko suggested.

Aang turned to Ty Lee. "Hey, Ty Lee, why don't you show me some acrobatic moves? I bet I can incorporate some of them into some new Airbending techniques!"

Ty Lee's face changed instantly. "Okayyy! Let's go!" She grabbed Aang's arm and practically flew off with him.

That left Jin and Toph standing in the snow. Toph snapped her fingers. "Darn, that could've been an awesome fight between you and Ty Lee! All bets off!"

Jin stared at her curiously.

…

For the next hour, everyone was busying themselves gathering weapons and supplies to meet Iroh at the designated islands. Katara had been avoiding Aang all day. Whenever they walked past each other, she averted her gaze, not wanting to look him in the eyes. Whenever Aang tried talking to her, he suddenly would find he had lost his voice.

Toph was still not talking to Aang. After being given some acrobat demonstrations by Ty Lee, Aang went to go see her. She was sitting in a tent, bundled up in furs with a thick furry hood. Aang grinned at how much she reminded him of a penguin.

As soon as she heard him enter the tent, she folded her arms and turned around. "You're still not talking to me," he asked.

"Gee, did I hear a voice? I guess it must have been only the wind."

"Come on, Toph. I have Katara mad at me already … I don't want you mad at me too!"

"There's that wind again! My goodness, it sounds like an annoying hog-monkey!"

"Come on, Toph! I know you're still mad at me, but I really need my friends now!"

"They should really put some soundproof barriers in this tent."

Aang clenched his fingers on his staff. "You're being such a butthead!" He then stormed out of the tent.

Toph rubbed her eyes.

…

It was a hectic experience to get all their warriors packed up and ready to go. Dozens of boats had already left, and Aang was preparing to get Appa ready for the trip. Suki had already left on a large boat with the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors. Katara, Sokka and Hakoda, meanwhile, were sharing a goodbye with her family.

"I'll miss you, Gran Gran," she sniffed, as she buried her face in her grandmother's furs. Kanna gently patter her on the back.

"I understand, Katara. But this is what you do. This is who you are. You aren't a girl that can sit at home while the men go off to fight in wars … you never were. You're braver than any man I know – and that's saying something."

Pakku appeared behind them and cleared his throat. "It's time to go, Katara."

Kanna gently backed away from her granddaughter, her eyes misted over with tears. But a gentle smile appeared on her face nonetheless.

"Go, Katara. Go bring peace back to our world."

Kanna then turned towards her husband. "And you ... keep an eye on our grandchildren." Pakku nodded, before kissing his wife. Hakoda looked away.

"Well, now … how about a group hug," Kanna suggested. The entire family embraced each other (albeit Pakku somewhat awkwardly), holding each other, not wanting the moment to end.

Aang watched the happy moment from nearby as he was preparing Appa. He wiped a tear from his eye. They all had something to fight for … something to come back to.

All except for him. When he had tried rejecting his feelings, it all went awry. Now that he had embraced his feelings, well … that blew up in his face too. Katara was too hurt by his actions to want anything to do with him.

But Aang decided, here and now, whatever it took … he would fight for Katara. Even if he didn't have her to come back to. He would fight for her and protect her, even if she didn't want to be with him.

With new resolve, he continued packing supplies onto Appa.

…

Finally they were departing. All of the available warriors they had were on boats heading for the designated location. Pythos and Long Feng, still prisoners, were put into holding cells in the bottom of one of the ships until they figured out what to do with them. Pythos had remained silent, but Long Feng was protesting eagerly.

"Why are we being imprisoned? We saved the Avatar's life! You should be _worshipping _us!"

Aang, meanwhile, kept up pace with the ships aboard Appa. Sitting in the saddle were Sokka, Zuko, Mai, Katara, Toph and Jin. Ursa had gone aboard one of the ships, acting as a scout in the crow's nest.

It was a tense ride on Appa. Mai and Jin were not speaking, Zuko was silent, and Sokka was babbling incoherently. Toph was deliberately going out of her way to not talk with Aang, while Katara felt incredibly awkward. So did Aang, for that matter.

After a couple hours of awkward flying, Sokka suddenly pointed to something. "There it is!" Through the morning mist, they could make out spires and towers. "The Southern Air Temple." Indeed it was. It was located in the Patola Mountain Range, which was surrounded by several smaller islands and archipelagos.

Zuko leaned forward with anticipation. "Okay, we just have to find the island where Uncle's at, and then we can plan where to go from here."

Toph reclined in the saddle, cracking her knuckles. "Oh yeah! Then we clobber Psycho Princess once and for all!" She turned to Zuko and Katara. "It's no fair that you guys got her all to yourselves during the Comet. I want first dibs on her!"

"I think Aang's already got first dibs on Azula, Toph," pointed out Sokka.

Toph immediately folded her arms. "Oh, I'm sorry … I must've blanked out. Who is this 'Aang' of which you speak?"

Everyone rolled their eyes at her. Aang merely lowered his head, downcast. "I can see tents on one of the archipelagos near the temple. It's probably Iroh … we should bring Appa in for a landing."

With a flick of the reigns, Appa was spiraling towards the archipelago. The tents were on the largest island, while the Southern Air Temple loomed some distance away. As Appa landed, Aang surveyed their surroundings. There seemed to be a city of tents on the island, and it was bustling with activity.

Dozens of warriors were practicing drills, cooking food around campfires, swapping war stories … Sokka seemed pretty pleased.

"Wow! Zuko's uncle wasn't kidding when he said he was getting some allies."

There was a hush throughout the large camp as Aang and his friends made their way through. Many warriors paused what they were doing to watch the Avatar as he walked. They hurriedly whispered into each other's ears.

Nearby, the boats had docked, and Hakoda led dozens of his warriors from the Southern Water Tribe into the camp. Hakoda seemed to recognize some of the warriors in the camp, and immediately engaged several of them in conversation.

"Hey Aang!"

The monk looked up to see a young boy in a wheelchair outside of a large tent (which had a bunch of weird doohickeys attached). He was waving frantically as an eccentric looking man emerged from the tent.

"Teo!"

Aang and co. ran over to the boy and his father. The Mechanist was pleased to see them, and he and Sokka immediately began discussing ideas for new war machines and weapons. Aang, meanwhile, was chatting fervently with Teo.

"I didn't realize you guys were going to be here," the Avatar commented.

Teo shrugged. "That Iroh guy sent us a messenger hawk. Said he needed all the help he could get. Plus, he seemed rather interested in what my dad could cook up for weaponry."

"Who else is here," Katara inquired.

"A lot of people. Mostly everybody who helped us with the invasion of the Fire Nation during the eclipse. Like those swamp guys…" He pointed to a tent a couple rows down.

They watched as the Swampbenders walked out of the tent, wearing only their leaf-coverings. Tho and Du argued with each other, while the burly Huu stretched furiously, his great belly jiggling.

Teo continued pointing out several more of their allies. "Many pro-wrestlers from the Earth Kingdom showed up too."

Toph's face glowed with delight as she "sensed" the Boulder and the Hippo as they were practicing fighting moves. The Hippo placed a concrete block on the ground. The Boulder pointed furiously at it. "Okay, concrete! The Boulder is about to rock your world!" He then smashed his forehead into the concrete, hoping to smash it in pieces. Instead, a giant egg appeared on his forehead and he began yowling. The Hippo patted him on the back of the head, comforting him.

Aang looked around, taking in all of the allies that were here. Many he didn't recognize, while others he couldn't forget. It was like a great, big reunion.

A small group of four children played around amid the tents. It was what was left of Jet's old gang after their leader had died in Ba Sing Se. The Duke was playing tag with Pipsqueak, while Smellerbee sharpened her dagger. Longshot merely stood off to the side, not saying anything or acknowledging anybody.

The Warriors of Kuruk, led by Shien lurked nearby. Next to them, Aang recognized the formerly warring factions of the Zhangs and the Gan Jins. Unlike the time when he met them in the canyons known as the "Great Divide", they now seemed quite content with each other.

They heard someone running towards them. "Hey guys!"

They turned around to see a teenage boy with a moustache, followed by his father. "Haru!" Katara's eyes beamed with excitement, which she quickly covered up. Haru and his father Tyro bowed respectfully to Aang.

"There's no need for that guys," the Avatar said.

"Can you believe this," asked Haru. "This is just like old times! Fighting against the Fire Nation … fighting side by side again."

Aang looked away. "I don't know if this is exactly like old times …"

Haru seemed astonished. "What do you mean?"

"The war … I think this coming battle is going to be much more savage and brutal than anything we've seen … I don't know if we're going to win."

Sokka rubbed his arm awkwardly. "I think … I think Aang may be right." Everyone turned to look at him, and he bit his lip sheepishly. "I mean … we have a lot of help and allies … but will it be enough? The Fire Nation outnumbers us at least a hundred to one. And with Azula being all-powerful …"

Katara looked at the monk next to her. "We just have to hope that Aang's up to the task."

Aang's heart was thumping. "Yea … I hope."

Zuko, meanwhile, wasn't paying attention to a word that was being said. "Does anyone know where my uncle is?"

Tyro shrugged. "I haven't seen General Iroh in some time. He usually hangs out in that tent over there." Zuko looked at the nearby tent. It seemed to be larger than the others and there was a symbol on the entrance flap.

A familiar symbol.

It was also guarded by two intimidating goons.

Shrugging, Zuko tried to enter the tent, but he was rebuffed by the guards. "Sorry, only high-ranking members of the Order of the White Lotus are allowed entry."

Zuko was indignant. "But I'm General Iroh's nephew!"

"No exceptions."

"But -."

"Listen kid, unless you show us the crest of the White Lotus, you're not getting in."

Zuko growled and a ball of flame shot out of his mouth into the sky. "This is ridiculous!"

Sokka had been watching the entire affair with mild interest. He was trying to remember where he saw that symbol on the tent's flap before. He was certain he had seen it at one point or another, but where?

The guards who had rebuffed Zuko suddenly found Sokka grinning right in their faces. Doing some weird hand motion as if he were about to perform a magic trick, Sokka suddenly flashed something in their faces.

The guard's mouths hung slack and their eyes shone with surprise. "The … the crest of the White Lotus!" The quickly parted ways, allowing Sokka entrance.

Sokka pointed at Zuko. "Oh, he's with me."

The Firebender leaned into Sokka's ear and whispered. _"How did you do that?"_

Sokka flashed a Pai Sho tile, and Zuko suddenly understood.

"The White Lotus tile? But those are incredibly rare! How did _you_ get one?"

"Master Piandao gave me one … speaking of which … hello, Master." He bowed respectfully.

Zuko found himself in a large tent filled with several men. He recognized them as members of the Order of the White Lotus. There was the sword master, Piandao; Jeong Jeong was there, keeping an eye on Iggy. The Cabbage Merchant was caressing two cabbages. Bumi was cackling in Pakku's ear, and Pakku seemed ready to throttle him.

Piandao placed his arm on Sokka's shoulder. "Sokka! Good to see one of my prized pupils again! How's the sword training?"

"Great! I created so many new moves. Here, watch this one! I call it – 'Sokka Slice'!"

Piandao shook his head, embarrassed for the corny name Sokka gave the attack. "Umm … maybe later."

Pakku managed to disentangle himself from Bumi, and was by Piandao's side immediately. "What are you two doing here," he growled. "You are not initiated members of the White Lotus!"

"I'm here to see my uncle," protested Zuko.

"General Iroh is not here."

"Not here?" Zuko could feel his stomach plummeting. "But when will he -."

"Be back? I'm not at liberty to say. Now if you don't mind …" He pointed at the tent's exit.

"You're kicking us out?"

Bumi came over. "Aaw, don't be such a sourpuss, Pakku. Let the boys stay." He got in both boys' faces. "Perhaps you young people can help me shave my back hairs?"

Sokka and Zuko began backing out the door. "Umm, on second thought, maybe we will be leaving after all."

The second they reached the exit of the tent, they ran.

…

An enormous fleet of airships lumbered in the skies, their numbers nearly blocking out the sun. They had nearly conquered the entirety of the Earth Kingdom and the Northern Water Tribe. That just left the Southern Water Tribe.

In her bedroom aboard one of the lead airships, Azula looked out the window, admiring her handiwork. The Earth Kingdom was burning. She had almost single-handedly done what the Fire Nation hadn't been able to do for a hundred years.

Conquer the world.

Of course, the last dregs of resistance still had to be wiped out. But that's what they were – dregs, and nothing more. Azula could easily handle whatever feeble opposition her enemies could muster.

Even the Avatar. She looked forward to ending him – personally. She heard something splashing in her bathroom. She entered the bathroom to investigate. Nothing that much astray. Her two "guests" seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Swimming in her bathtub were Tui and La, the Ocean and Moon Spirits. The two fish tried circling each other, but they were growing weaker, having been removed from the Spirit Oasis.

Azula gloated over their capture. She reveled in it.

But what was this? She reached a shaking hand into the bathtub and withdrew a small, rubber ball. But that was funny … she didn't remember bringing a rubber ball into the bathroom. Shrugging, she tossed the ball behind her and towered over the fish.

The two spirits seemed to wilt beneath her, and Azula took great pleasure in it. "Stupid fish. Why would immortal spirits take the form of something so fragile? Why would an eternal being make itself mortal? It makes no sense! But yet … if the immortal could become mortal, then perhaps I – a mortal – could find a way to become immortal…" She was lost in her own musings.

The fish opened and closed their mouths, as though trying to tell her something. Azula leaned forward. "Oh, something to say? Nothing?" She cackled. "Two dumb little fishies in a tub. You became mortals to protect the world … yet by doing so, you allowed me to destroy everything you hold dear." She splashed the water furiously, mocking the fish, causing them to scatter and swim frantically.

She cackled.

"That's not nice, you know."

Azula paused, hearing the voice come from the bedroom behind her. It sounded like … like that dratted girl. But how? She was not onboard the ship when they left. She was fairly certain of that.

The Princess turned around and, sure enough, there was Malu standing in the doorway leading to the bedroom. The rubber ball was clutched in her tiny hands.

Azula put her hands on her hips. "Now how did you get in here?"

"That isn't nice," Malu repeated.

The Princess rolled her eyes. "Okay, I'll play along. _What_ isn't nice?"

"You making fun of those fishies. And splashing their water. Fishies don't like that. It's not nice."

"Hmm, and who are you to tell _me_ what's nice? You're just a little girl – you have no idea what nice and mean are!"

Malu nervously fumbled with her ball, bouncing it up and down on the floor. Her head was lowered. "My mommy taught me what was nice and not nice."

Those words knifed Azula's heart. "M-mommy?"

The little girl nodded, her confidence now seemingly starting to grow. "Yeah. My mommy told me not to make fun of people – or steal, or lie, or cheat …"

"Your 'mommy' sounds like a ninny!"

Malu stopped bouncing the ball. "My mommy IS NOT a ninny!" Her fists were clenched and her face was bright red. The little girl was mad – madder than Azula had ever seen her. "You're just a big meanie!"

"How dare you address -."

Malu wasn't done talking. "You're a meanie, and a butthead, and a poopoo pants!"

Azula opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off again by the little girl. Malu's next words put the Princess to complete silence.

"Maybe if you had a mommy, you wouldn't be such a no good meanie!"

The Princess was struck beyond words. When she finally regained her composure, she ran a sweaty hand through her hair. Any other person that ever dared speak to her like that would be a pile of char-broiled ash that very moment.

So what made this little girl so different?

"Listen, kid. I had a mommy, and trust me – they're not_ any_ authority on good and bad!"

"You're wrong!"

Azula cocked her head. "Am I? Then why did my mother think I was a monster?"

Malu opened her mouth to offer a rebuttal, but was cut off. Azula had listened to the child's outburst; now it was her turn.

"Why did my mother favor my brother? Why did my mother abandon me?" Azula wasn't exactly sure why she was divulging these carefully guarded thoughts and feelings; but the little girl had really irked her and deserved to be put in her place.

"Mommy's don't abandon their children!"

"Mine did!" Spittle threw out of Azula's mouth. "My mother didn't love me! She left me!"

Malu was having none of it. "No! All mommy's love their kids!"

"You have a lot of growing up to do, kid! You know nothing of the real world! Children are abandoned by their parents all the time!"

Malu was on the verge of tears.

Azula continued on. "How many children are left at the doorsteps of strangers? How many children are left in orphanages, shifted around like pieces of gold – foster home to foster home? Child after child … abandoned, abused, spit on, broken! This is the reality of our world, kid. This is the reality of the world around us. You'll need to learn real fast that not everything is gumdrops and sunshine rainbows! The real world is a dark place! But the Fire Nation will fix all that!"

Malu sniffled, clutching her ball to her chest. "How?"

The Princess had a weird smile crossing her face. "We're going to fix this world. Right all the wrongs committed. Bring justice to all those who have committed injustice. The Fire Nation will rebirth this world – through the crucible of war, a new era will rise. A new world order. One where the savage beasts of the Earth and Water nations will become refined, cultured. Lasting peace between all nations."

Malu looked up at the teenage girl. "You don't really believe that, do you?"

"Of course I do!"

"But … how can war bring peace?"

"Like I said, you have a lot to learn, kid. When you grow up, you'll understand."

Malu wrenched her face. "I don't want to grow up. No way, no how. And maybe your problem is that you grew up!"

Azula ground her teeth. "I had no choice. My mother decided to abandon me. My father was the only one who looked out for me! The only one who loved me!"

"Does he?"

Azula found no words coming out of her mouth. She had never really been asked that question before. She finally found her voice. "Yes! Of course he does! And I would be quiet about my father if you know what's good for you!"

Malu started bouncing the ball. "Whatever you say – _meanie_!" She stuck her tongue out at the Princess before running out the door. She vanished before she walked through the barrier.

Azula was fuming. In her rage at the little girl, she snarled, picked up a vase and threw it as hard as she could across the room. "What does she know about mothers? My mother thought I was a monster." She was panting, like a deranged animal.

Her sharp nails dug into her palms. "Why if I ever … if I ever see my mother again … _I'll kill her!_"

…

Two hours had passed at the islands, and Iroh had still not returned. It was approaching the afternoon, yet the fall air was crisp and cold, so the city of tents was alight with dozens of small campfires. Sitting around one particular campfire was a group consisting of Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, Mai, Jin, Suki and Ty Lee. Jin had deliberately sat far away from Ty Lee, not wanting to have another argument. Mai put her arm around Zuko, and glared daggers at her rival.

Toph had tried to sit away from Aang, but the monk deliberately positioned himself next to her. Aang really wanted to make amends with the blind Earthbender – particularly since he and Katara broke up. In a way, he felt if he could get Toph to forgive him that Katara would forgive him too.

That, and he missed his saucy banter with the Earthbender.

Aang was roasting several marshmallows, and he turned to look at the blind girl next to him. "Would you like a roasted marshmallow, Toph?"

"I'm sorry, did you say something Sokka?"

Sokka shook his head, his mouth full of raw meat.

"Come on Toph! You know it was me!"

"I swear I must be going crazy! That _empty_ tree stump just spoke to me!"

"That's enough Toph!" Katara was standing up.

Toph played dumb. "Enough of what?"

"Enough of you ignoring Aang! You're beginning to irritate everyone, and it's cruel to do that to him!"

Toph folded her arms. "Not as cruel as what _you_ did, Sugar Queen!"

"What _I _did?"

"You broke his heart! I messed with Aang a little bit, pretending to ignore him – so what? You dashed his heart to pieces!"

Aang lowered his head, his cheeks burning in embarrassment. Half of their group was watching Katara and Toph, while the other half was looking at him.

"I – I … that has nothing to do with what you're doing Toph!" Katara's cheeks were flushed too.

Toph bit a huge chunk of meat out of her boar-cue-pine rib, before standing up. "You know what? I'm not listening to this!"

"Don't you turn your back on me," Katara yelled after her.

Toph pretended to not hear her, instead stomping several feet away and trapping herself in a large stone tent she had instantly erected.

Katara was seething. "The nerve of her …"

It was very tense for the next few minutes. Everyone ate in silence.

"Hey what's going on guys?" It was Haru, who had decided to come over to their campfire.

Ty Lee was filing her nails, and took a quick glance at the boy in front of her. She did a double-take and hearts appeared in her eyes. She quickly clutched at Zuko, pointing at the boy. _"Who's that," _she whispered in his ear.

"That's Haru."

Ty Lee was razzle-dazzled. "He's gorgeous!" She immediately flung herself onto her feet and began trying to flirt with Haru.

"Ooh, tough break Sokka," Zuko teased. "Looks like Ty Lee's found someone else."

"Good," Suki glowered, edging closer to Sokka.

…

Aang wandered away from the campfire. _How can I get Toph to forgive me? _He mulled it over for quite some time. "I've just got to try harder!"

So he did.

Toph came out of her stone tent to practice some Earthbending moves when Aang appeared out of nowhere. "Hey Toph!" He was wearing Sokka's fake beard, and tried dancing around her, trying to make her laugh.

She ignored him.

So he continued doing a jolly dance.

She continued to ignore him.

"Come on," he protested. "This has got to make you laugh … me dancing crazy … wearing Sokka's beard …"

"I suppose that _would _be funny, if I could actually _see_ you!" She waved a hand over her blind eyes.

Aang paused in mid-step. "Oh … that would make sense."

Toph walked past him as though he never existed.

…

Toph was practicing some bending moves, when all of a sudden Aang appeared and shoved a bouquet of flowers in her face.

"I picked these for you, Toph."

There was a strained look on her face. _"Aa -."_

Aang grinned.

_"Aa -."_

The monk's grin spread wider.

_"AAACHOOO!"_

Toph sneezed right in Aang's face with such force that she blew him over. She wiped her nose on the back of her hand. "I'm allergic to flowers." She stepped over the monk's prone form and continued on her way.

…

Aang was now incredibly flustered as he sat upon a rock. First Katara broke up with him and now Toph wouldn't even talk to him. Momo landed on his shoulder and nuzzled against his cheek affectionately. He scratched the little lemur's ears.

Now that he looked at Momo's face, he could almost see in his eyes the familiar spark of Monk Gyatso. He wondered why he hadn't seen it before.

A Water Tribe official came running up to him, bowing respectfully. "General Iroh has returned – and he's asking for you personally."

Aang was taken aback. "Me?"

"Yes. He says it's urgent."

Grabbing his staff, he followed the official to the White Lotus Tent.

…

Iroh was sitting inside the White Lotus Tent, sipping some tea. Zuko was sitting with him, having been invited by the old man. The guards bowed low to the Avatar, allowing him entry.

Iroh took another sip of tea and his eyes fell on the young monk. "Oh, Aang. It is an honor to see you again."

Aang gave a Fire Nation bow. "Likewise. You said you needed to see me – that it was urgent?"

"Oh, not _that _urgent."

Aang was dumbfounded.

Iroh beamed as he poured himself another cup of ginseng. "You must excuse my recent absence … I was recently at the Southern Air Temple."

The Avatar looked up. "T-the Southern Air Temple."

The old man nodded. "Oh yes. Sightseeing."

"Sightseeing?"

"Oh yes, I heard it was quite lovely. But that is beside the point." He leaned over his cup. "There's something there that … well, I think you ought to see for yourself."

"Something?"

"Or someone, rather." Iroh gulped his tea. "I think you'll find it most inspirational."

"But, do we have time for this, Iroh?"

"Just enough, if we leave right now."

"I'll get ready."

Iroh's smile grew wider. "I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Perhaps it will give you the inspiration you need for the coming fight ahead."

…...

Hakoda was sitting next to Bato, sharpening his machete when a messenger hawk arrived. The bird pecked friskily at his ear, and he swatted it away.

"Ow! What do you want?"

"I think he has a letter," Bato pointed out.

The bird pecked Hakoda again. "Ouch! Alright, alright! Give me the letter!" He withdrew the letter from the bird's pouch and unfurled it. Bato leaned over his shoulder to read it as well.

Both their eyes widened and they looked at each other frightfully.

…

"They're coming. An entire fleet of airships and battleships … and who knows what else they have?"

Hakoda and Bato were addressing a throng of Water Tribe soldiers in their tent. Pakku, Bumi, Jeong Jeong and Piandao were all present.

One of the Water Tribe soldiers threw his arms around in exasperation. "But _how_? How could they possibly know where we are? We marshaled in secret, kept everything on a need-to-know basis! So how did they locate us so soon?"

"It's a mystery to me," Hakoda shrugged.

Another soldier stroked his chin. "Unless …" He hesitated.

"Come on, tells us what you think," encouraged Hakoda.

"Unless someone tipped them off…"

There was a terse silence. Pakku leaned forward, agitated. "Who would tip them off? Who would betray us like that?"

Bumi leaned forward, his eyes gleaming insanely. "I accuse Appa!"

Everyone looked at him.

Another man rose angrily. "Why are we playing these ridiculous guessing games when we have two known Fire Nation sympathizers within our very camp?"

"Are you suggesting our … _prisoners_?" Jeong Jeong had a raised eyebrow.

"That's _exactly_ what I'm suggesting! The Earth Kingdom's former Secretariat … and that weird serpent guy! How do we know they didn't let themselves become captured so they could find out our plans and tip off the Fire Nation!"

"Calm yourself," Piandao placated. "What evidence do we -."

"What evidence? _What evidence?_" The man was practically frothing at the mouth. "Two Fire Nation allies … two men who have been working against us from day one … I ask you …" He panted, incredulous that anyone would inquire for evidence.

"I agree," another man shouted. "It must have been them!"

"It's reasonable, I suppose." Hakoda was merely stroking his beard.

"Reasonable? It's a fact!"

"It isn't a fact … not yet, anyway," Piandao remarked.

"Are you a Fire Nation sympathizer too," another man snarled.

Jeong Jeong, Bumi and Pakku stood up, angry that the man had accused their friend.

But it was no use. The tent was awash in incoherent yelling and screaming.

"I say we get the Secretariat and the snake guy and string them up to the tallest tree by their slimy innards!"

"Off with their heads!"

There was the sound of a loud _BANG!_ Everyone fell silent instantly. Pakku's eyes were furrowed, and his frown was more prominent than ever. "Alright, listen up everyone! We'll give those two a chance to explain themselves, and if we find any conclusive evidence, then we take action. Does that sound fair?"

"I say -." One angry glare from Pakku, and the speaker fell silent. "That's fair … I guess. Then we take their heads."

…

"This is ridiculous! You've had us under lock and key! How in the world could we _possibly_ inform the Fire Nation about your whereabouts?" Long Feng was infuriated. He and Pythos were both bound and standing outside in front of a panel of Water Tribe warriors.

One Water Triber leaned forward. "Don't ask me to understand how you criminal types manage to slither your vile plans past us without us knowing. All I know is, you two tipped off the Fire Nation!"

Long Feng snorted. "You _know_." His voice dripped with sarcasm. "And how, pray tell, do you know?"

"I … just know, okay! My instincts …"

"Are wrong!" Long Feng was seething. "Why is it, that when I actually _help _you guys, I get shafted over? Perhaps I shouldn't have saved the Avatar's life. Perhaps I should have left him to die …"

"Perhaps you saved him to gain our trust …"

"Oh yes, and look at the great amount of trust I've gained …" He raised his hands, showing his cuffed wrists for all to see.

"Nevertheless, neither of you have an alibi."

Long Feng was sputtering. "We were bound inside a tent! I ask you, how could we _possibly _send a messenger hawk?"

"Perhaps you communicated through some other means."

"Other means," Long Feng scoffed. "You people are all crazy!"

The panel looked over to Pythos, who stood next to his counterpart. "Do you have nothing to say for yourself?"

Pythos' tongue flicked between his teeth. He said nothing. Even Long Feng was irritated by his silence. "For goodness sake, say something!"

"Ssssomething," Pythos hissed obstinately. And he absolutely refused to say anything more.

Off to the side, Sokka, Katara, Toph and Zuko watched the entire proceedings. Katara looked at the blind Earthbender standing next to her. "Toph, you're a human lie detector. Are Long Feng and Pythos telling the truth?"

"That's the thing," Toph answered. "They actually _are_! They didn't tip off the Fire Nation."

"Which means that the actual traitor is still at large," Zuko mused.

"And quite likely among us," Sokka chimed in. "It could be anyone." He eyed the area suspiciously.

"That panel seems pretty convinced of their guilt," Katara pointed out.

At that moment, the panel stood up and they all simultaneously declared: "Guilty!"

"See," Katara said.

The Water Triber in the middle of the panel was speaking now. "Your sentence – death. To be carried out immediately."

Long Feng was screaming. "This is outrageous! You have no proof!"

"They can't just put them to death!" Zuko was shocked. "They haven't proven anything!"

"The panel is scared, Zuko." Toph was speaking. "They know that the Fire Nation is too powerful. They know that … that most likely we're going to lose the battle. Going to die. So they need to vent their emotions. They need a scapegoat – someone to take the brunt of their anger and fear. All the logic, reason and proof in the world won't do any good with their minds in that kind of state."

Katara stormed past the group and angrily marched right up to the panel. "You can't do this," she yelled. "You haven't proven that they've done it!"

One of the Water Tribers pointed at her next. "Sympathizer!"

"I'm no sympathizer! I just think -."

"Off with her head!"

Zuko, Toph and Sokka were there, by her side. "Listen," Sokka soothed. "Perhaps you guys are right. Perhaps Long Feng and Pythos are guilty."

"At last, someone sees reason," one of the panelists said.

"But all we're asking for is an hour." Sokka's eyes were narrowed. "Stave off the execution for an hour. Give us an hour to prove their guilt or innocence."

There was a moment's pause as the panelists whispered amongst themselves. Finally, the lead panelist cleared his throat. "One hour. Then, proof or no, we will execute them. One hour."

Sokka beamed. "Thanks guys!"

Long Feng was staring at them questioningly. "Why are you sticking your neck out for me?"

Sokka shrugged. "Because no one should be executed for a crime they didn't commit … even if they are a total slimebag."

"I don't know whether I should be flattered or insulted."

As Katara, Sokka, Toph and Zuko went on their way, the panelists began talking again.

"Now that they're distracted … we can actually carry out the execution – immediately!"

…

"I once journeyed into the Spirit World many years ago. Have I told you that?"

"No. Zuko might have mentioned it in passing…" Iroh was sitting in Appa's saddle, while Aang flew the bison. Momo was flying beside them, chasing flying insects and small birds around. Iroh laughed merrily at the lemur's antics.

They were flying over the mountain ranges towards the Southern Air Temple. The temple was situated in the Patola Mountain Range, which required a sky bison to fly over.

Iroh breathed the crisp mountain air in deeply, before letting out a contented sigh. His eyes were misted, as though he were in some other time and place.

"I don't talk about my trip to the Spirit World much …"

"Oh?" Aang didn't quite know what to say. The old man seemed to be on the verge of discussing it right now, but there was a tension … unease in his voice.

Iroh drew another breath. "It was … after the death of my son, Lu Ten."

Aang stirred. He hadn't known Iroh had a son. A son who had passed away, no less. It increased his sympathy and compassion towards the old man. Iroh was clearly in the mood to reminisce – to talk about his past. Aang decided to remain silent, to let the old man say what he needed to say.

"I didn't quite know how to deal with his passing. I ended my siege of Ba Sing Se abruptly … that brought some measure of anger from my father, no doubt … and my brother took it as an opening to attack me and try to steal my birthright.

"After Lu Ten's death, I needed a break. I journeyed across the Earth Kingdom on my own, trying to find ways to bury my grief. I met a guru … Guru Pathik to be precise. He taught me some meditation techniques to relax myself, to spiritually mature. But then something unexpected happened! We were sharing a bowl of onion-banana juice, and I let my consciousness go beyond what I normally do. I drifted into the Spirit World.

"At first I was excited, happy to be among the honored few that ever gained access to the Spirit World. I journeyed deep into that realm, fascinated by all the different spirits. But then I realized I had traveled too far. I became lost, unable to return to my body. I began asking the spirits for help. Many were too lost and confused themselves to help me. There was a certain meditating monkey that absolutely refused to help me…

"After hours of searching, I became resolved to my fate – destined to spend eternity trapped within the realm of the spirits. But then I saw it …"

Aang couldn't help but be fascinated. "Saw what?"

"It was a spirit – a flying spirit, like a bird. At first I was mistrustful … but it was persistent. It led me to the portal, the entrance back to the mortal world. For years I wondered what spirit it was that helped me. I visited the Fire Sages and read up on some of the spirits … and I finally discovered it."

"What spirit? Which one helped you?"

Iroh leaned back. "Each nation has its own patron spirits watching over it. These spirits often manifest themselves in the physical world, taking physical forms. For the Water Tribes, the patron spirits were the koi fish – Tui and La. For the Fire Nation, it was the dragons Ran and Shaw. And for the Air Nomads, it was Qigong."

"Qigong?" That name had a certain familiarity to it.

Iroh nodded. "Years ago, Qigong manifested itself in the mortal world. It often journeys between the mortal world and the Spirit World. It was Qigong that aided me. He was like my guardian angel. I never saw him again. But yet … the legends say he makes an appearance at each Air Temple every year during the Autumnal Equinox."

"I remember those legends," Aang suddenly blurted out. "I remember … below the temple, deep underground, beneath the mountains. There was an altar to Qigong. But … I thought that the Fire Nation must've wiped it out during the sieges …"

"They didn't. It was too well concealed. Besides, the Fire Nation was not going to bother trying to destroy an altar to a mythical spirit that it did not believe to exist."

"Is that what we're going to see? Qigong's altar?"

Iroh nodded. "Yes. I found it at long last. And with any luck … we may just see Qigong himself."

…

"It's hopeless!" Toph had her head in her hands, Zuko was pacing and Katara was sitting dejectedly. Sokka was wearing his fake beard and smoking a fake pipe.

"Do not give up hope, my dear Toph. I deduce that whoever tipped off the Fire Nation is within our very camp."

"Real logical deduction, genius." There was total sarcasm dripping from Toph's voice.

Sokka didn't pick up on it. "Yes. Quite logical indeed." He took a puff from his fake pipe. "My next logical deduction would be that the said individual is a traitor."

"Another _brilliant_ deduction!" Toph twirled her finger in the air mockingly.

It was at that moment that Suki and Ty Lee burst in on them. "Come quickly," Suki breathed. "The panel … they're going to execute Long Feng and Pythos right now!"

Katara shot out of her seat. "What? But our hour isn't up yet!"

"I tried explaining that to them, but they don't care, Katara! We have to stop them before … before two innocent men lose their lives!"

…

Iroh led Aang and Momo deep underground, beneath the Patola Mountains. Appa did not like being underground, so Aang had left him at the secret passage outside. The passage had been constructed by the Air Nomads – it was so well camouflaged that any passerby would walk right past it without notice.

"It isn't much further," Iroh was saying. He and Aang both had glowing balls of fire in their hands to light the way. "At least I don't think…"

Aang couldn't keep the excitement out of his voice. "But this … how come I didn't think of this before? Do you think that any Air Nomads might have hidden out beneath here? That some might have survived?"

"Nothing would surprise me anymore. My brother could suddenly turn into a flamingo-gator and I wouldn't bat an eyelash."

They journeyed for what seemed like a good half an hour, going deeper and deeper underground, when Aang suddenly saw it. "Look!"

They were in an immense underground cavern. There was a giant, bottomless chasm. Aang kicked a stone over the edge of the chasm to hear the sound of it landing below. It never came.

Above the dark abyss was a path – a stone walkway which led to an altar. On the altar was the insignia of the Air Nomads.

"There it is." The joy in Iroh's voice was unmistakable. "I never thought I'd live to see this …"

Aang joyously ran across the pathway towards the circular platform that held the altar. Iroh beamed as he merrily strolled along behind him. They reached the altar, and Iroh used Firebending to light two candles.

"But … how do we summon Qigong?" The Avatar suddenly drew in a deep breath and his voice exploded around the cavern.

"QIGONG! COME ON OUT! I WANT TO MEET YOU!"

His voice echoed for several seconds.

Nothing.

Iroh tapped his chin and suddenly pointed. "Look at the altar. There's something inscribed."

Aang blew the dust off the writing and began reading aloud.

_To those who are worthy, he appears_

_And to those who are not, he stays clear._

_Just say the word, you know what it is –_

_And he will grace you with an appearance of his._

_He is a guardian of the lost and those in danger_

_With wings of a bird and the protection of a ranger._

_Now think – what is it that is a guardian of the skies?_

_Come on, take a guess – you have unlimited tries!_

The young monk rubbed his chin. "I don't get it."

Iroh kept repeating the poem to himself. "Just say the word … just say the word …"

"What word?"

"It says we know what it is already."

The old man began pacing. "We know what it is … but yet we don't …"

"Maybe there's a hint … something within the poem itself … or within the cavern?"

"It says we must be worthy …"

Momo began chattering and jumping up and down excitedly. "Gyatso …" Aang suddenly realized. "Momo knows something!"

Momo flew up and landed on the altar. He began pointing furiously at the poem.

Iroh was repeating the poem to himself. "Guardian … protector … wings … bird … guardian … protector …"

Momo was waving his arms frantically.

Iroh looked up. "I think I have it."

He stepped up to the altar, tracing the engraved words with his fingers. "Qigong was my guardian – ANGEL!"

For a moment there was silence.

Then the cavern was awash in beautiful white light which surrounded and penetrated every crevice of the cavern.

And there it was. A beautiful white bird, with large, gently flapping wings. There was a golden tint to its feathers, and it sung such a beautiful song that Iroh and Aang were moved to tears. Both of them fell to their knees.

Aang couldn't exactly describe it. "It … it's incredible!" This was it – the patron spirit of the entire Air Nomads. His culture summed up in this one spirit.

Qigong turned its head, and its beautiful golden eye looked directly into Aang's eyes. Directly into his soul.

Visions swam in Aang's head all of a sudden. Visions of Monk Gyatso teaching him Airbending drills. Of Aang awakening out of the iceberg to see Katara's beautiful face. The gently blowing wind of fall, the season of Aang's people. Scattered leaves. Guru Pathik. Aang using Energybending to remove Ozai's Firebending instead of killing him.

More visions. There was a monk. A monk who was weeping in a corner. He was such a pathetic looking sight. Mourning over lost love. Aang could see him more clearly. It was a vision of Avatar Ko-Rei – an Air Nomad who had fallen so far, but yet was still human. He still felt the same kind of loss as Aang.

Then the vision shifted to a little girl, taken before her time.

Malu.

But yet … the little girl was laughing, playing ball with someone in an open field. Aang couldn't yet figure out who she was playing with, but she was far happier than anyone Aang had ever seen before.

And he finally saw himself, surrounded by his friends, in a large group hug.

This was the purpose of being brought here. This was what Qigong truly wanted him to see.

This is what mattered beyond anything else. Beyond Aang's pain, beyond his desires, even those he tried to deny – beyond everything he thought he had known. All the anger he previously felt, all the resentment at being the Avatar was washed away in the light of Qigong's glow.

This was all he needed.

~0~

_The true mind can weather all the lies and illusions without being lost._

_The true heart can touch the poison of hatred without being harmed._

_Since beginning-less time, darkness thrives in the void,_

_But always yields to purifying light…_

~0~

…

"You can't do this! This is not justice – this a travesty!" Katara was seething. She and the rest of the gang had come to try to reason with the panel, but they would have none of it.

Not even the Order of the White Lotus could change their minds. In fact, when Pakku and Piandao tried to intervene, they were accused of being "sympathizers" with the Fire Nation.

"There must be something you can do," Katara protested to her grandfather.

Pakku shook his head. "What _can_ we do? Resisting the panel will only alienate what few allies we have left. Many of the people we assembled support the execution. Should I drive them away when we need their help most?"

"But this isn't fair!"

"Who said anything about fair? You must understand, Katara, life is anything but fair. And we already agreed that the panel's decision would be upheld."

Katara clenched her fists, her satchel by her side. The water swished inside, and she was preparing herself to use it.

Pakku seemed to catch on to what she was planning. "I absolutely forbid you to interfere, Katara."

"But Pakku -."

"My word is final." He regarded her sympathetically. "I know how you feel. I know this isn't right, but you must sometimes make concessions for the greater good."

Pythos and Long Feng were led by the panel members to the center of the camp. Everyone was watching. Many of the allies they had gathered supported the panel's decision and were screaming for blood.

Long Feng was still protesting and thrashing around, but a gag was placed in his mouth. He was placed before a chopping block, and the executioner appeared. The executioner wore all black, with a black mask on top of his head. He brandished a thick axe.

Long Feng's eyes were widened in horror.

The leading panelist forced Long Feng into a kneeling position, forcing the Secretariat's head onto the block.

The executioner looked for the go-ahead. The lead panelist nodded.

With that, the black-clad executioner marched towards the chopping block and raised his axe.

"I can't look …" Katara turned away.

_THUD!_

There was a collective gasp, and Katara dared to take a peek.

The executioner had missed his mark – well, not exactly.

Long Feng was still bent over, but he was alive and well. The executioner had merely chopped off the bindings from his hands.

"What is this betrayal?" The lead panelist was furious.

The executioner reached up and removed his black mask – to reveal the grinning mask of the Blue Spirit! Tossing aside the axe, the Blue Spirit withdrew her broadswords, and with a clang, freed both Long Feng and Pythos immediately.

"Reveal yourself," the panelist shouted.

Ursa tossed her Blue Spirit mask aside. "If you want to execute these two men, you'll have to go through me!"

"Very well. Guards – arrest the traitor!"

Several Waterbenders advanced on Ursa, who merely grinned and spun the swords in her hands. Zuko was there, by his mother's side in a flash.

They were preparing for battle, when suddenly Sokka pointed upward. "Look!"

It was Appa. The bison came in for a landing; Aang and Iroh slid off his saddle and walked into the center of the crowd. "What'd I miss," he asked.

Sokka shrugged. "Nothing much. Zuko and his mom are about to brawl with some Waterbenders."

Aang looked around. "Wow … I never knew what you guys would do without me, but I never thought you'd all lose your minds!"

"They were going to execute Long Feng and Pythos for crimes they didn't even commit!" Katara was furious. Aang became angry too.

"She has no proof they didn't commit the crime," the panelist shrieked.

"And yet you have no proof they did!"

"They have been among the Fire Nation's greatest allies."

"So was Zuko. So was Iroh. Should we arrest and execute them too?"

The panelist opened his mouth angrily, but found he had nothing to say. Aang meanwhile, was addressing the massive crowd.

"Alright, listen up! I know you're all frightened at what's coming ahead. I am too. I don't know how this is all going to turn out. But you can't let your fears push you into actions that you might regret! Look at what your fear has done to you all! You were ready to execute two men without evidence, and you're all at each other's throats right now!"

The Waterbenders lowered their fists, and Ursa lowered her broadswords.

Aang, feeling more confident, continued on. "This is eleventh hour! This is the hour of fear, and horror – but we cannot back down! We cannot attack each other! We must stand firm, and hold together. We must learn to forgive each other for our mistakes! We must learn to put aside the past, and our differences, and work together!"

A few feet away, Toph lowered her head.

"The Fire Nation will be at our doorstep by tomorrow! Are we going to be remembered as the men who were defeated because we fighting each other? Or, are we going to stand tall, united against Ozai and his Dark Avatar? We _can_ win this – but not if we can't put our differences aside!"

There was silence among the camp, as all eyes were on him.

"Uh, that's all I have to really say." He shrugged, and walked towards the nearest tent.

…

Aang was busy in the tent folding some clothes, when he heard the entrance flap being pushed aside.

"Hey."

It was Toph.

Aang turned around, smiling. "So you're finally talking to me?"

Toph rubbed the back of her head nervously. "Yea … I guess I am."

There was an awkward pause.

"Listen … I uh … oh golly this is hard for me … look, I wanted to apologize. I was just … I was so _hurt_ and angry that you ran out on us back at Ba Sing Se."

Aang nodded. He knew how difficult it was for Toph to apologize and admit she was wrong. "I understand, Toph. And please believe me – if I could take that back … I'm sorry for running out on you guys. I was so confused and lost. Trust me … you aren't the one who needs forgiveness."

"Don't give me that, Twinkletoes." She gently punched him in the arm. "I know I've been a jerk lately."

"Well, maybe a little."

"Don't make me punch you for real."

She turned to walk out of the tent, but Aang's hand on her shoulder stopped her. She slowly turned around, and the next thing they knew, they were embracing each other.

Friendship restored.

…

Ursa was nervously pacing around in her tent. She knew what she had to do, but she wasn't sure how her son would respond.

Would he understand?

Could he forgive her for doing this to him a second time?

She didn't want to … but it was something that had to be done. After all, Zuko was not her only child.

After what seemed like an eternity of her agonizing over it, Ursa sat down at a small desk and began writing on a piece of parchment.

_Dear Zuko,_ it began.

Her tears stained the entire letter.

…

At the border of the Earth Kingdom was a small harbor. It was currently under Fire Nation occupation. Two bored Firebenders sat playing a lazy game of Pai Sho.

"I win again," the one cheered.

The other one, clearly irritated, threw the board over.

"Hey, calm down! It's just a game – no reason to lose your temper."

"It's the graveyard shift – I'm bored! I have no better company than you. And I -." He stopped speaking as they heard footsteps.

"What the -?"

It was a black-clad figure, wearing a blue mask.

"The Blue Spirit," the one Firebender breathed.

The Blue Spirit removed her mask, and the two Firebenders nearly collapsed due to shock.

"Princess Ursa?"

The long-lost princess, wife of their Fire Lord. The rest of the Fire Nation had been told that she was dead … died the very same week as Fire Lord Azulon.

They bowed clumsily.

"There's no need for that," Ursa told them.

"Your Royal Highness. It's such an honor -."

Ursa cut them off with a wave of their hand. "I need you to take me somewhere."

"Anywhere, Your Highness."

Ursa leaned forward with determination on her face. "I would very much like to see my daughter…"

…


	23. Chapter 23: The Autumnal Equinox

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

…

Book 4:

Air

Chapter twenty-three:

The Airbender Cycle Part III:

The Autumnal Equinox

…

It began with several attacks across the Earth Kingdom. No, not Fire Nation attacks or raids. This was … something else entirely.

Well, let's begin with the first incident that morning. The entire town was under quarantine by the Fire Nation. The citizens were forced to be up at the crack of dawn, labor in the camps, and then come back home at sundown.

But one man in that town couldn't sleep. So he got out of bed to fix himself a midnight snack. His wife lay asleep next to him. Outside his house, the Fire Nation patrols were marching. The stairs creaked as he slowly descended towards the kitchen.

Upon reaching the darkened kitchen, he stopped as he heard the sound of skittering feet. "Hello," he whispered hoarsely. No answer. Shrugging, he opened a cabinet and began munching on some cold meat.

The sound of feet skittering appeared again. "Who's there?" No answer. He went back to eating his snack.

More footsteps.

Striking a match, he lit up a torch, illuminating the room. The footsteps immediately stopped. There was nothing in sight. He happened to take a glance up, and nearly dropped his torch.

Muddy footprints were all over his ceiling, as though someone had been walking upside-down.

Now he was in silence, trembling.

"Come back to bed, honey." His wife. Holding the torch in front of him, he sprinted back upstairs, into the bedroom and locked the door. His wife watched him with interest as he began pulling furniture in front of the door.

He calmed down, relaxing.

Until his wife pointed up. "What's that?"

He followed her finger and gasped.

The muddy footprints were appearing all over the ceiling, as though someone was walking along them.

Whatever was doing it was in the room with them.

…

That was the first incident.

The second incident was a Fire Nation soldier who had wandered away from his brigade to the local tavern. While all the towns were put under quarantine, the taverns remained open in order to service the Fire Nation troops who wanted a drink.

As he came to the tavern, he noticed that it was strangely empty. Usually at this hour, the Fire Nation would change shifts, and the off-duty soldiers would share a drink with each other, swapping war stories, jokes, etc.

He pushed the door ajar, and found no one inside. Shrugging, he figured it was just a slow time. He sat at the bar stool, expecting service.

A mug of something was shoved roughly at him, though he couldn't see who procured the beverage for him. Shrugging yet again, he moved to take a sip.

That's when he saw a face staring at him through the glass bottom of the mug. It was a beautiful face. It winked at him.

Looking around to make sure he was alone, he fixed his outfit and began grinning cheesily.

The problem was, the face had vanished.

_Huh?_

He looked behind the counter to see if the woman was hiding beneath. Nothing. Completely empty.

He took a look at the drink before him and pushed it away. "I have got to stop drinking grog this late at night." He looked around for a bartender, before tossing a few coins on the table.

That was when something grabbed him. Long, thick tentacles latched on to his arms and legs, and the next thing he knew, he was strung up to the ceiling. He thrashed about, screaming, before a tentacle covered his mouth.

The beautiful woman below him was not so beautiful anymore.

When the morning patrol came by that morning to look for him, all they found were a few shards of cloth – from his uniform.

…

The final incident took place at sea. It was late at night, and the captain was overseeing the final preparations before allowing his soldiers to retire for the night. "Everything looks tip-top," he informed his first mate. "Alright, let's buckle down for the night."

BAM!

The ship rocked violently to the side, nearly throwing half the crew overboard. The captain and his first mate grabbed hold of the sides, nearly slipping into the depths below.

"What was that?" The first mate's face had paled.

"Something hit us," another crewman murmured.

They looked around as the ship stabilized.

Silence.

BAM!

The ship rocked violently to the other side, nearly capsizing the boat again. They looked to the side, and there, appearing before them, was a giant monster. It stood a hundred feet tall, had sharp claws and teeth. Its skin was scaly and atop its head was a mop of long, tangled, black hair.

The crewmen began screaming and hollering, preparing weapons.

The captain backed away, his face twisted in horror. _"Yokai,"_ he whispered to himself. _"Yokai."_

As the crew scrambled for their lives, a second giant monster appeared on the other side of the ship. Both monsters began tearing into the boat, leaving it to sink. The crewmen dove overboard, grabbing on to whatever they could to keep afloat.

They watched the monsters disappear before their very eyes. The captain, as he clung to a wooden plank, was muttering to his first mate. "Yokai … Yokai …"

The crewman looked at him curiously.

"The Spirits have been enraged," the captain continued.

…...

It was sunrise in the camp, but almost nobody was asleep. They were busy in preparation for the final confrontation. Aang hadn't a wink of sleep. Today was the Autumnal Equinox and the Fire Nation was on its way here with an invincible army. Azula was with them.

Sokka stuck his head inside the tent. "Rise and shine buddy." His face was more serious than Aang had ever seen before. "Zuko's uncle asked us to join him in the White Lotus tent."

Aang was quickly dressed and followed Sokka to the tent. Inside were several members of the Order. There was a large, rectangular table, and seated at the edge was Iroh. Hakoda, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, Ursa and Bato were also seated.

Iroh looked up to see the young monk entering with Sokka. "Oh good, now we have everybody. We can begin."

Everyone took their places at the table as Iroh began talking again. "As you all know, we face a crisis unlike anything we've ever seen before. Our enemies are gathering. Their numbers continue to swell, and with each passing second, more and more of the world will fall to their armies. And with the Dark Avatar at the helm, no one will be able to stand against them."

"When will they be here," asked Hakoda.

"Within the day."

There were murmurings among the men.

"Our informants indicate that they will be here with numbers far surpassing our own. Most importantly, we've learned that my brother and niece are with them, leading the charge. Furthermore, as we all know, this is the Autumnal Equinox …"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Hakoda had an eyebrow raised.

"The Dark Avatar has put the Spirit World out of balance. And if the Dark Avatar Spirit is not purged from my niece and sealed away in the Spirit World … the results could be disastrous. The Equinox blurs the line between worlds, meaning that the Spirits can transition in and out at will … they are already growing restless, and with the balance out of whack, many of the more … _malevolent_ spirits will be agitated."

Aang leaned forward. "Malevolent spirits?"

Iroh chortled. "Many spirits are harmless, benevolent. Others are merely pranksters. But some spirits intend harm. Many malevolent spirits hunt humans for sport, dragging them into the Spirit World. Then we have the worst Spirit Monsters of all – the Yokai."

"The who?"

"The Yokai are monsters. Giant monsters. They are the quintessence of distilled rage and savagery. There's no rhyme or reason to anything they do. Millennia ago, they were locked away in the Spirit World because they almost destroyed the earth … but if they begin appearing, it will be disastrous. They will destroy everything in their paths."

Sokka shuddered. "Okay, giant spirit monsters that destroy everything in their paths. Great! And I thought Hei Bei was bad!"

"If the Dark Avatar is not sealed away, the balance cannot be restored. The Spirit World and the mortal world are already aligning. They will crash into each other, causing both worlds to spiral into chaos. And the Yokai are world devourers. They will consume this world until there is no more. Then they will consume each other."

All eyes were focused on Aang, who was sliding down in his chair. Iroh looked deep into his eyes with sympathy. "Understand that we are dealing with events of apocalyptic proportions. If Azula is not stopped, then the entire world – and all life – will be destroyed."

Aang never felt such pressure bearing down on him. His heart thudded in his chest, as though it would spill out of his body unto the table.

It was, once again, his responsibility to save the world.

…

"This messenger hawk just arrived for you, Princess. From a nearby warden. They have a prisoner who … well, read for yourself."

"Let me see."

Azula was in her bedroom aboard her airship, preparing herself for war. The soldier handed her the letter, and her eyes quickly scanned the contents. Her face instantly paled, and her eyes widened, maddened. She began visibly trembling.

The soldier was concerned. "Princess?"

She suddenly regained knowledge of where she was and she quickly covered up her physical distress. "I'm perfectly fine, Captain. Take me there."

"Should I inform the Phoenix King?"

"We do not need to burden him with something this trivial. We'll just keep it between us. Now turn my airship around and take me there!"

"But what about the attack?"

"This is just a minor pit stop, Captain. We'll be back in formation just in time for the battle – however short it may be."

…

The camp was abuzz with activity. The Fire Nation was nearly on their doorstep, and it was quite likely that most of them wouldn't make it out of this alive. There was a tense feeling in the air – an electric feeling that kept everyone on their toes. Very few people spoke, most of them sharpening and refining their weapons.

Aang and the rest of the gang sat around on a pile of rocks. They didn't quiet know what to say to each other … in fact, they had the feeling that this might be the last time they ever saw each other alive again.

What do you say to your friend when they might not be alive in a couple of hours? So it was an awkward silence between them all. So much left unsaid … so much that still needed saying.

Toph broke the silence. "I don't get what we're sitting around here for! Shouldn't we be preparing for the battle?"

No one responded.

"What's wrong with you guys?"

"Toph, do you remember when we first met?"

It was Sokka's voice, and the gentle tone brought a stillness to Toph's heart. "Of course I do! But I don't understand -."

Sokka was absentmindedly tracing a pattern with a twig. "You and Katara didn't get along so well at first. She thought you weren't pulling your weight, and you gave each other a hard time…" His voice was distant. "It was the same when I first met Aang. I was suspicious of him … I thought he was a Fire Nation spy or something. I didn't want him around our tribe at all … but I eventually took a shine to him, and we became best friends …"

"Yea, that's nice and all, but should we really be getting all nostalgic right now?"

Sokka didn't seem to hear her. He continued speaking. "We've come so far together … been through so much … Being chased by pirates … Escaping Zhao … Learning Earthbending … Invading the Fire Nation … Sozin's Comet … and we got through it all together."

Katara's eyes seemed weepy. Aang was silent, staring at his feet.

"That's right," Suki chimed in. "We're a team. Team Avatar!"

"I'm sorry to go off on a tangent," Sokka sighed. "It's just that … we've never faced a challenge this big before … the stakes have never been higher. And … just in case something happens … I wanted to thank everybody here. Thank you all for being my friends. Thank you all for the jokes, the pranks, the laughter, the hugs, the tears, everything. Thank you for being by my side through thick and thin … when the going got tough, you guys were there. You guys were there …"

Even Toph and Mai seemed genuinely moved by Sokka's heartfelt thanks. Zuko raised his head, and everyone was shocked to see a small tear forming in the corner of his eye. It trailed down his cheek.

"I wanted to thank everyone too," Zuko said. "After everything I've done to you … I've chased you across the world. I've stolen Katara's mother's necklace and used it against her … I tried to hurt you guys, make you feel the pain I was feeling in my heart. I tried to capture Aang, the world's last hope for peace, all for my selfish desire to regain my honor. I betrayed you at Ba Sing Se, sided with Azula. Sent the Combustion Man after you…

"I just wanted to apologize again. I want you all to know how deeply sorry I am. I know you've all forgiven me, but the memories of what I've done still gnaw at me every night. And … I wanted to thank you for accepting me into your group. I know it wasn't easy for you at first … but I wanted to thank you for giving me another chance."

"Do I feel a group hug coming on," asked Toph.

The group embraced each other. They held each other for what seemed like an eternity, none of them wanting to let go.

…...

Zuko entered a small tent, his heart heavy. He cleared his throat. "Mom? Are you in here?"

That's funny. Ursa was usually there, ready to greet her son with a hug. But there was a cold stillness in the room – as though it had been empty for a while.

His eyes fell on the spot where Ursa usually kept her Blue Spirit gear. It was empty.

And that's when he saw it. On a small desk, was a piece of parchment. It appeared to be a note – and it was covered with dried droplets, as though the writer had been crying over it.

He reached a shaky hand out, and grabbed the parchment, slowly taking in its contents.

_ Dear Zuko,_

_ I know this will be difficult for you to read, but you must. I am leaving you again. It breaks my heart, as I know it will yours. Throughout the entire time I was banished, not a moment went by that I wasn't thinking of you. I wondered what kind of a man you grew up to be, whether you would look like your Father, what kind of girl you would date. And when I found you again, you exceeded my expectations. You grew up into a greater man than I thought possible, and it was in spite of my absence. You're strong, capable, powerful … and grown-up. You don't need me anymore. That's why I surrendered myself to the Fire Nation. They will take me to Azula. You may no longer need me, buy your sister still does. Perhaps if I meet her, I can talk some sense into her. Maybe I can show her that I truly love her … maybe I can help her. She's not a monster Zuko, no matter what anyone says. She's a scared and confused little girl with powers she doesn't even understand. She's controlled like a puppet by her father, and I will put a stop to it. I want you to know, if we don't see each other again, that I cherished our brief time back together. It meant more to me than any other time in my life. Know that I love you with all my heart, forever and ever. We will see each other again – if not in this life, then the next. See you on the other side…_

_ Love,_

_ Mom._

Zuko was shaking as he read the letter. As he finished, he slumped into a nearby chair, his head in his hands. His tears dripped onto the parchment, mixing with his mother's already dried tears.

…

"She's this way, Your Highness."

"Good. Lead on."

The Fire Nation had converted the nearby Earth Kingdom prison into an internment camp for prisoners of war and other important captives. Azula had taken her airship away from the main fleet. The prison was only a few miles away, located on a smaller island, near Kyoshi Island.

Azula shuddered as she walked through the barren, stone hallways. It was quite cold in there. She tried to increase her body heat, but that did no good.

That was when she realized – it was not the temperature of the prison that was making her chilled. It was fear.

Impossible. She was Azula, Princess of the Fire Nation and the Dark Avatar. She felt no fear.

And yet …?

No. What did she have to be afraid of? She had conquered fear a long time ago.

But yet…

She was afraid to confront this woman. This woman who dared call herself "Mom."

This was different than all the other times. Those were just hallucinations. She realized that now. This … this was for real.

"Here's the cell."

"Good. Wait outside."

The Warden turned the key, and the prison door opened. Azula hesitated for a moment, before stepping inside the cell. The door closed behind her.

Trying to slow her heartbeat, she scanned the room and zeroed in on a figure sitting in the corner. The figure didn't seem scared or frightened at all. The figure actually seemed calm, and quite content.

Ursa looked up at her daughter. "Hello Azula."

"Mother. I suppose I should be pleased to see you, but frankly, I can't quite say that I am!"

"I understand, Azula. I understand how you must feel. You must've felt so alone … so alienated."

"So you don't deny that you abandoned me?"

Ursa lowered her head. "I was banished by your father … but yes. I suppose I did abandon you, Azula."

"I'm glad that you admit it! Throughout my entire life, you chastised me, criticized me, crushed my self-esteem. And then … and then …" Her eyes brimmed. "You just left me without saying goodbye! What kind of person does that to their daughter? I bet you went out of your way to say goodbye to little Zuzu, didn't you?"

Tears were forming in Ursa's eyes. "You're right Azula. I wasn't a good mother to you, I admit it. I wasn't there for you. I favored Zuko, spending most of my time with him. I realize now I was doing to you what your father did to Zuko."

"What Father did to Zuko? Father was an excellent parent! He showed partiality to me, only because he saw that you favored Zuko. He didn't reprimand me at all! He encouraged me, pushed me to outdo myself, to strive for the best! What about you? You _never _encouraged me!"

"I know. And, I want you to know … I'm truly sorry."

Azula rolled her eyes. "Sorry? _Sorry?_ You'll have to do better than that, Mother!"

"Then let me make it up to you now, Azula. Let me be there for you now."

"Why now? Why all of a sudden do you show interest in me? Why, when you believed all along that I was a monster?"

The tears rolled down Ursa's cheeks. "I … I admit … I always thought there was something dark inside of you. The Dark Avatar Spirit. But you can overcome it, Azula! You may have been born as the Dark Avatar, but you don't have to embrace that role. You can choose your identity! What you are born as, does not define what you are!"

Azula was looking at her nails. "Sorry, Mother. But I like this role. I like having infinite cosmic power."

Ursa was shaking her head. "So you embrace the identity of the villain? Don't you know that the villain always loses?"

"Exactly! But I'm not the villain, Mother. You are! You're the one who abandoned me! You're the one who is doing everything in your power to undermine the Fire Nation and its efforts to save the world – to create a new world of peace! Sorry, I'm not the villain here."

"Then if you're not the villain … how come the world is terrified of you? How come they withdraw in terror at the sight of a Fire Nation soldier? How come you have to resort to murdering innocents?"

"Casualties of war."

"Innocents! Civilians! Children! Some younger than you! How do you justify that?"

Azula opened her mouth to speak, but found she had no words to say. She closed her mouth furiously, clenching her fists. "I don't have to justify myself to _you_!"

"Then who will you justify yourself to? Tell me, Azula! How many more people have to die in the name of the Fire Nation? How many more people will you kill in the name of peace?"

"Just the Avatar and his pitiful friends. You may be a villain, Mother, but you are merely just one of them. It's the Avatar … he's the true villain. He's the one who abandoned this world a hundred years ago, when he should have been helping the Fire Nation win the war! Everyone calls me the Dark Avatar … but what if it's really the other way around? What if that boy is really the Dark Avatar and I am the true Avatar?"

"Just listen to yourself," Ursa replied. "Do you have any idea how you sound? Just listen -."

"NO MOTHER, YOU LISTEN! I am going to save this world and bring peace! I am going to be a hero! The world will love me – love me like you never did!"

"But I do love you, Azula!"

"Well you have a funny way of showing it!"

Ursa bit her lip. _How can I get through to her? How can I get her to see sense?_

"Azula, do you remember when you were a little girl? You were about three years old, and I took you and your brother to go see the Ember Island Players. You wandered off – you wanted to go swimming. I was frantic. I couldn't find you – and there was a storm that day. The waves were high, and they had to evacuate half of Ember Island.

"And then I saw you getting pulled out to sea. You were drowning – having wave after wave crashing down upon you. I dove in after you – I managed to grab you and hoist you on my back. We couldn't make it back to shore – the storm was too violent. You were crying, so I began singing your favorite lullaby to relax you. Do you remember it?"

Azula backed away, shaking her head. No, she didn't want to remember. She couldn't allow those feelings to resurface – they would only get in the way.

Ursa got up and began singing.

_"Leaves from the vine_

_ Falling so slow_

_ Like fragile, tiny shells_

_ Drifting in the foam_

_ Little soldier boy, come marching home_

_ Brave soldier boy, comes marching home."_

Azula was on her knees; the tears were brimming.

Ursa sighed, her own eyes watering up. "That was your cousin Lu Ten's favorite lullaby. It always used to calm you and Zuko down as a baby. And after Lu Ten died … it became Uncle Iroh's favorite song as well. He liked to think that the song was about Lu Ten … that it was all just a dream. That Lu Ten would one day come marching home. And although he would never return to the mortal world, Lu Ten truly did go marching home." Her voice was cracking, and she slumped down, hugging her knees.

Azula struggled to hold in her tears. She remembered that event Ember Island, though it all seemed like a dream. Waves crashing over her, filling her lungs. Then her mother was there. That song, soothing her. Telling her that everything was going to be okay.

She looked up at Ursa, and their eyes met. Azula was now openly weeping, and she crawled closer to her mother. "Mommy …"

Ursa nodded, smiling warmly now. "I'm here, my little girl. I'm here, and I'm never going to leave you again."

Azula crawled till she was face to face with Ursa. Mother and daughter stared at each other, both silently weeping.

_I'm getting through to her, _Ursa thought. _I've gotten past her defenses to the sad, frightened little girl within._

And within that briefest moment, Azula was just a little girl again. Frightened, terrified of the changing tides around her, the crashing waves of life – and Ursa was there to soothe her, comfort her, love her.

Ursa reached out and gently touched her daughter's face, tracing the outline with her fingers. Azula allowed herself to enjoy the feeling.

But then something stirred within her.

Azula's eyes shot open, and she began snarling. She smacked her mother's hand away. "NO!" She stood up, towering over Ursa.

"Azula … what's wrong?"

"You little witch! I will not allow you to cloud my mind, Mother! This is all just a trick … you didn't come here just because you love me! You came to pollute my mind with sentimentality and weaken me! But no! I will not be weakened! I will not be manipulated emotionally!" She shoved her mother up against the wall, her face boring into hers like a fierce, serpentine dragon.

"Azula … please!" She winced as her daughter's grip tightened like a vice around her wrists.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not going to kill you, Mother. Well, not yet anyway." She drew closer, whispering into Ursa's ear. _"I want you to live long enough to see me destroy everyone and everything you hold dear. I'll save your precious Zuko for last. Then we'll be even for you abandoning me, now won't we, Mother?"_

She released Ursa, and the older woman dropped to the floor like a cork. Azula began storming out of the cell.

"Azula, please – think of what you're doing! Deep down, this isn't you!"

Azula turned around in the doorway, giving her mother a scathing glare. "It is, Mother! I am _not_ the little girl you ran out on!" And she slammed the cell door shut, leaving Ursa alone and trapped.

…

The heroes' camp was completely settled down. The battle lines had been drawn, and now it was time for the plans to be revealed. Sokka gulped. Toph had "volunteered" Sokka to give the heroes the plans, knowing how poor he was with public speaking. The entire army had gathered before a makeshift stage. Sokka was off to the side with the rest of the gang, fumbling with drawings and blueprints.

Jin had her arms crossed. "I don't understand this! Why are we staying to fight? Why don't we all just leave – run away and hide. Wait for a better time to strike?"

Aang shook his head. "You don't understand. If we wait until after the Autumnal Equinox, then there won't _be_ any place to hide. The imbalance between worlds will destroy everything – and all of us."

Jin was beginning to hyperventilate. "But you heard Zuko's uncle! Their armies are just too powerful!"

"Since when has that stopped us," Aang asked.

"We don't have enough men! We're all going to die!"

Mai slapped her to calm her down. She nodded at Aang. "That shut her up."

"But Jin has a point," interjected Sokka. "It's true. They outnumber us a hundred to one. I hate to say it – but I think we're going to lose." He sighed as he surveyed their army. These were bright faces, with whole futures ahead of them. Many of them they already knew. Many were close friends.

Many they would never see again.

"I was volunteered to cheer the men on," Sokka lamented. "Spur them on to victory. Instead I feel like I'm marching them off to their graves."

Katara placed her hand on his back. "Be strong, Sokka."

He hesitated, before marching onto the stage before all of soldiers. Hakoda watched him proudly.

Sokka's voice was cracking and his pulse was off the charts. He fumbled with the blueprints in his sweaty hands, dropping them to the ground. Cursing under his breath, he managed to fumble them onto an easel, so everyone could see the battle plans.

"Uh … hey everybody … Umm, Sokka here. Oh, well, you already knew that. Uh … so … uh …. Apparently there's going to be a big battle, lots of explosions, you know? And … fighting … weapons … clang, clang …"

Everyone listened to him with a glazed over look.

Hakoda appeared onstage. "Why don't you let me take over, Son?"

Sokka shrugged him. "No. I can do this." He wouldn't always have Hakoda to bail him out of tough situations. He was going to learn how to inspire soldiers. There would be no repeat of the Day of Black Sun.

"Listen," he finally breathed, beginning a speech. He had prepared a small speech, but took the parchment out of pocket and crumpled it up. This was going to be a speech from the heart.

"The Fire Nation is on its way. They'll be here in a matter of hours." He began pointing at the maps. "This is our island. The Fire Nation's navy is incredibly large and incredibly powerful. They'll surround this island easily, and have dozens of ships left to spare. That's the least of our worries. The navy will be there to box us in. The true attack will start from above.

He flipped a chart, showing a Fire Nation airship. "The Mechanist and I have studied the Fire Nation's newer airship models. These are smaller and sleeker, but also far more fast, maneuverable, agile. Thus, much harder to hit. They'll start bombing us from above. Once our men scatter, their ships will begin to dock and unload troops and tanks. With that many ships docking at once, they'll be able to unleash over a thousand troops in less than a minute. In five minutes, they'll have us overrun."

He flipped the chart, outlining the edges of the island. "We need all the Earthbenders and Waterbenders to join together. We need to create perimeters – barriers around the island to prevent them from unloading their troops. The Earthbenders must create large, rocky barriers around the island. And we need the Waterbenders to reinforce them with ice. The barriers won't last forever, but it will buy us some time to marshal a counter-strike.

"In order to protect the barriers from aerial strikes, we need both the Waterbenders and Earthbenders to cover the island with giant rocky and icy domes. Make this entire island a giant igloo if you will. Again, the Fire Nation will melt their way through, but it will buy us time. That's our most important asset. We need to buy the Avatar time so that he can defeat Azula and lock the Dark Avatar Spirit away. With the Dark Avatar out of the equation, then maybe … just maybe … we _might_ have a chance."

He looked across the lines of solemn faces, and he gulped. "I'm not going to lie to you guys. Our chances of victory … are slim. But that doesn't mean we can give up. If we lose today, at least we lose fighting for our freedom, our lives. We lose with honor, and dignity, instead of being hunted down as we try to run for our lives. This world used to be peaceful. All four nations used to coexist. Until the recent Fire Lords showed up.

"Understand that they aren't coming here to conquer or enslave us – they're coming to shed the blood of every last one of us – man, woman, child, infant! They've already taken a lot from us. They've stolen our land, our livelihood, our freedom. Now they've declared war against our very lives. We have to stand up to them. To show that they aren't going to push us around! We will fight to the last breath to make sure that this war finally comes to an end! One hundred years is far too long for my taste! It ends today!"

The army was cheering and whooping, spurred on. They were armed, and ready to give their lives.

Sokka slouched off the stage, not even listening to the praise or applause. He stopped and looked at Aang, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I hope you're ready, buddy."

"I do too, Sokka. I do too …"

…

Zuko hurriedly gathered together a number of weapons and supplies. He nabbed two broadswords, slinging them over his back. He grabbed some more supplies, when a voice rang out behind him.

"Going somewhere?"

Zuko turned around. "Mai… Listen, this is something I have to do. Azula probably has my mother captured – tortured even. I have to rescue her."

"How?"

"The Fire Nation set up a prison brig near Kyoshi Island. I'll bet you anything she's being held there."

"What about the battle?"

"With any luck, I can save her and come back before most of the fireworks begin."

"Well you're not going alone."

"Says who?"

"Says us," came a second, cheerful voice. Ty Lee appeared in the tent, grinning. "It'll be just like old times. All of us together again, having another grand adventure."

Zuko beamed. "It'll be dangerous."

"You act as though that will deter us," Mai replied dryly.

"Listen, Zuko – don't try to protest! We're coming whether you like it or not!" Ty Lee beamed as she placed her hands on her hips.

Zuko couldn't help but smile. "Thanks guys."

Together, they exited the tent.

…

Azula's airship was docked with a second airship. The Princess moved onto the deck of the second craft, and bowed low before her father.

Ozai was ready for war, and he was flanked by a number of Imperial Firebenders.

"The attack forces are ready, Father. The navy and the air fleet are prepared – each ship is accounted for. All we are waiting for is your command."

Ozai stroked his beard. "But yet, you seem quite distracted, Daughter. Is anything the matter?"

A bead of sweat trailed down her cheek. _Should I tell him about Mother? _She cleared her throat, bowing her head in submission. "I am … merely excited about our impending victory, Father."

"Impending victory. It will be glorious, will it not?" He moved across the deck to a large, golden throne that had been placed there. He sat down, stroking his beard. "We have nearly conquered the world … and yet, I feel somewhat unnerved. Who's to say that these Earth and Water types would bow in submission to me? In fact, who's to say that they won't rise up in rebellion against me? Perhaps … perhaps we should finish what we started with the Air Nomads…"

"Father …?"

Ozai glared at his throng of troops, before a disturbed smile flitted across his features. "I say we purge this entire planet until the Fire Nation is all that remains!"

The Firebenders nodded, cheering and applauding in agreement.

The Phoenix King then slumped in his chair, a dejected look on his face. "But my men … my men will confront these savages without their king. If only I could engage in battle once again … if only I had my Firebending …"

Azula tapped her chin. "I think … I think I might have an idea, Father. That guru may have been an idiot, but he did teach me a few things. We tampered with chakras, and little did he know that I was developing my skills. I took the training farther than he even knew. I decided that I would figure out how the Avatar removed your bending … and I would master that same technique…"

Ozai seemed impressed. "So what are you saying?"

"I struggled with it, certainly. But finally, I mastered it. I learned how to close and open chakras, thanks to that guru. And if I could do that … I could bend the very energy within a person. If the Avatar can do it, then I certainly could too!"

"I'm intrigued."

"I haven't tested it yet, but I can surely do it. Without a doubt."

Ozai nodded. "Very well. Do it."

He kneeled down before his daughter. Azula placed two fingers on his forehead and neckline. She concentrated hard. The sky seemed to turn dark around them, and suddenly, both Azula and Ozai were immersed in red-orange light. Phosphorescent beams shot out of their eyes and mouths, coalescing in the sky.

And just as quickly, it was over. The light disappeared, and the sky returned to normal.

"Did … did it work?"

Azula folded her arms. "Try it."

Ozai waved his hand – and to his utter surprise a fireball appeared in his hand. "This is … this is incredible. My Firebending … yes, I can feel my old power returning to me."

Azula stood up and began walking back to her docked airship. "Let me know when the battle begins."

Ozai sprouted another ball of flame in his left hand. A demented grin spread across his face.

…

~0~

_It's time for this world to end in fire…_

_and for a new world to be reborn from the ashes!_

~0~

_The stillness before battle is unbearable…_

_Such a quiet dread…_

~0~

…

_The hour has come…_

…

Hakoda and his forces watched as the skies darkened with hundreds of Fire Nation airships. Then came the navy, the battleships puffing big, black jets of smoke into the sky, blackening the atmosphere.

Bato joined his chieftain. "Are we ready for this?"

"We have to be."

The lines of Earthbenders and Waterbenders moved into position as Hakoda and Iroh watched.

Hakoda nodded. "Barriers!"

The Earthbenders slid into their stances, kicking the ground. Suddenly, rocky barriers appeared around the perimeter of the island, cutting off the navy … for now. The Waterbenders reinforced the barriers, freezing them with diamond-hard ice.

The airships moved more speedily than the boats. They would be upon them in a matter of moments.

"Domes!"

In seconds, the Waterbenders and Earthbenders had created rocky domes above their heads. If one were watching from above, they would see rocky igloos just sprouting out of nowhere. The Waterbenders again reinforced them with ice.

The airships hovered above the domes. They simultaneously unleashed jets of fire, which began melting the ice. The Waterbenders struggled to hold the position, refreezing the ice.

The island was already sweltering with heat from the Firebending, and the domes and barriers were beginning to collapse.

Hakoda was sweating as he saw the defenses weaken, and his warriors re-strengthen them. But ultimately it would be futile, he knew.

They couldn't hold the Fire Nation back for too much longer.

…

"The battle begins."

Azula stood on the deck of her airship, far away from all the main action. She watched as the airships shot jet after jet of flame. Already their foes' defenses were crumbling.

"Why do people have to fight?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Azula noticed Malu walking along the deck. The little girl watched the display of violence with sadness in her eyes.

Azula snorted. "Like I keep telling you – you have much to learn."

Malu held firm. "Instead of fighting with them, why not make friends with them instead?"

"You truly have the mind of a child. What use are friends? I learned at an early age, you can't trust anyone! I watched, day in and day out, the treachery of man. I've seen greedy Fire Nation governors sell out their entire community for a few extra coins. I've seen lieutenants betray their superiors, just for a lousy promotion! I've witnessed it all firsthand. I've even experienced it. My mother abandoned me … Mai and Ty Lee turned on me … No, friends will only disappoint you, hurt you. The only one you can trust … is yourself!"

"I can be your friend," Malu grinned.

"Nice offer, kid. But you're too little to understand what I mean. Give it time – you'll learn soon enough. Everyone will stab you in the back – except, of course, my father."

"But your daddy stabs everyone in the back!"

Azula's eye twitched. "Watch it, kid!"

"If what you say is true … and everybody betrays everybody … why wouldn't he stab you in the back too?"

"Because my father … look, I don't have to explain it to you, kid! Now why don't you just get out of my hair – FOR GOOD!"

"Princess?"

Azula whirled around to see the captain of the airship standing there uncertainly.

"Yes, Captain?"

"Were you talking to somebody?"

Azula glanced at the spot where Malu had been standing only moments ago – the little girl had disappeared. Figuring the captain would think her crazy if she told him, she shook her head. "Nope. You must have been imaging things."

"I guess so. Anyway, I just came for your orders."

Azula turned and looked at the battle being waged a couple miles away. "Take me to the Southern Air Temple."

"You're not joining the battle?"

"Not yet, anyway. I want to lure the Avatar away from the main fighting – where it can be just me and him. I'll join the battle as soon as I dispose of him."

"Very good, Princess."

The captain turned and went below, leaving Azula standing there to relish her coming victory … and to turn Malu's words over in her head.

…

It had taken an hour for Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee to get to the prison brig. They had grabbed a spare steamboat constructed by the Mechanist, figuring he wouldn't miss it. Now they docked at the prison brig. With a flick of her wrist, Mai had pinned several of the guards down.

The trio moved quickly and quietly. They had grown to become the masters of stealth. As they passed through a hallway, they saw a lone guard making his rounds. With the silence he had learned during his time as the Blue Spirit, Zuko snuck up on him, and suddenly grabbed him.

The guard let out a squeal like a little girl. "Oh please don't hurt me! I only work here, is all!"

"Where are they keeping Princess Ursa?"

"I don't know … they didn't -."

Zuko tightened his grip. The guard looked past Zuko to see Mai staring into his eyes as she sharpened a blade.

"Okay, I'll talk. Top floor. High security cell!"

"Lead the way. And if you try anything funny," Zuko pointed a broadsword at him, "well … use your imagination."

The guard gulped.

…

"Here. This is her cell."

"Watch him," Zuko asked Mai. She pointed one of her daggers at him as Zuko gingerly pushed open the cell door.

"Mom. It's me! I've come to rescue you!"

No response.

"Mom?"

He created a ball of fire to illuminate the room.

Nothing.

The cell was completely empty.

Zuko exited the cell and faced the guard. "You lied to me!"

"No I didn't. I assure you, this is her cell!"

"You should listen to him. He's telling you the truth." The cold voice came from behind him. Zuko whirled around to see – Ying.

Ying along with several dozen Imperial Firebenders. And being held captive by one of the Firebenders was -.

"Mom!"

Ursa didn't seem to be aware of where she was. In fact, it didn't look like she could move at all.

"What did you do to her?"

Ying held up a small dagger. "Shirshu saliva. Paralyzed her – temporarily of course."

"Let her go!" He brandished his twin broadswords.

"Not so fast, Zuko." Ying was enjoying this. "Make another move, and I'll cook your mother alive." His hands blazed with fire.

Zuko lowered his weapons, motioning for Mai to also do so.

"HIYAA!"

Ty Lee leaped from out of nowhere, attempting to hit Ying's pressure points. Ying sighed, and merely sidestepped her, blasting her to the ground with fire. Zuko reached out and helped the acrobat to her feet.

"I would advise you not to try that again – my patience has been wearing ever so thin these days."

"What do you want, Ying?"

"Surrender yourselves into my custody. That's all."

"No."

Ying raised an eyebrow. "Then how do you like your mother? Well-done? Extra crispy?" He spun a hunting knife in his hand. "Or heck … how about raw and quivering?" He held the knife up to Ursa's jaw line. "What will it be, Zuko?"

"You win. Just don't hurt her."

"Atta boy, Zuko. You know, you're not quite as stupid as you look!" He motioned for his guards. "Take them away. The Phoenix King will be quite pleased to see them all!"

…

"Fall back! Fall back!"

The Fire Nation had begun a concentrated aerial bombardment of the domes and perimeters. The Waterbenders and Earthbenders could no longer rebuild them under the nonstop attacks of the airships.

The perimeters and domes fell.

Then came the boats. They docked at all sides of the archipelago, unleashing too many troops and tanks to count.

The heroes' army was surrounded. But they were not going to go down without a fight.

Huu, the Swampbender, waded out into the ocean and created his trademark seaweed monster. He bended the water within the plants, causing them to get caught in the gears of the Fire Nation machinery.

Three airships looped around and opened fire at him. He stretched out several vines, catching one airship, tossing it aside like a rag doll. The two other airships circled above, firing nonstop at him.

He pulled more seaweed and vines from the ocean, using them as quick shields to protect his seaweed beast from the flames.

He was putting up a good defense … but a defense was still just a defense.

The bulk of the fighting moved throughout the enormous archipelago, turning it into one giant battlefield.

Water, Earth, Fire and even Air (from Aang) were spawned in all directions. Aang was in the thick of things, with Katara and Toph next to him. Several tanks came bearing down on them, and they backed away.

Suddenly, the tanks began exploding. Up above, they saw Teo flying his glider, leading several other glider-flyers from the Northern Air Temple. They were dropping some of the Mechanists homemade bombs on the tanks.

But it was not enough. For each tank destroyed, four more took its place. The Fire Nation seemed to have unlimited forces to deploy.

Not to mention the growing number of troops and Imperial Firebenders that were ransacking the place.

Two more tanks streaked towards them from the side. Aang was pushed out of the way by the Hippo, who used his enormous bulk to attempt to halt one tank.

Three Earthbenders joined the Hippo, bending the ground beneath the tank. But all of a sudden, they let out a yell, and they collapsed to the ground, leaving the Hippo to stand against the tank alone. Their bodies were riddled with arrows.

On a ledge above, stood a group of Yu-Yan archers.

The Hippo was now starting to be pushed back by the tank.

Toph and the Boulder joined their wrestling buddy. "Here's a little trick for ya," the blind Earthbender jeered. She cracked her knuckles, and used Metalbending to implode the tank.

The problem was, they were now being charged by a line of Firebenders. They were being driven back. Katara, Aang and two Waterbenders used defensive water techniques against the furious Firebending, but it was no use.

Suddenly, there was a gust of wind, and the line of Firebenders was blown off their feet. Aang looked up to see Appa, outfitted in battle gear and being ridden by Sokka and Suki.

"Hop on!"

Aang, Katara and Toph climbed aboard the bison, who took off into the air. The skies around them were filled with airships, which immediately began opening fire. "Sokka, turn left!" Katara's scream filled the air, and the bison banked hard to the left, narrowly evading a blast from an airship.

Sokka reached into a sack filled with weird devices. "Homemade bombs, designed by the Mechanist. Use them!"

Aang, Katara and Suki reached in and began dropping them over the sides. The bombs landed atop several tanks, causing pockets of explosions to dot the landscape.

But now they had a new problem.

"Sokka – the airships!"

Several airships were now giving chase. Sokka had been right – these smaller, newer airships were far faster and more maneuverable than the original design. And they were rapidly spitting fire right in their direction. The air around them was aglow with flames, explosions and smoke. Katara was shouting orders at her brother.

"Left! Right! Go up, UP!"

"Would you like to drive?"

Aang pulled himself up to the front of the saddle. "Actually, _I _would. Now move over!" Sokka switched positions with Aang, so that the monk was piloting.

With expert skill, he maneuvered Appa into a sharp bank, just as a jet of flame shot over their heads.

"Easy," Toph shouted. "I told you, I get motion sickness!"

"We're in the midst of a battle and _now_ you tell us!"

More airships joined them, leading a large chase in the sky.

Suddenly, Teo and his team of gliders zipped past them, dropping the Mechanist's bombs on the airships. One exploded. The other two, in their desperation to avoid the bombs, ended up crashing into each other.

Aang gave Teo a thumbs-up. The boy responded in kind.

Sokka, meanwhile was pointing in the distance. "Look!" Everyone aboard Appa followed his finger to see several airships breaking off from the main group and heading away.

"Are they retreating," questioned Katara.

Aang felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. "No. They're heading for the Southern Air Temple."

"To destroy it?"

"I don't think so…"

Aang watched those airships closely. He tuned out the battle around him, the sounds of men screaming, explosions, more screaming … he concentrated hard.

"It's Azula," he finally said. "She's going to the temple…"

"Are you sure?"

"It's like … I can almost sense her. I know it's weird, but I can guarantee you that she's on one of those airships." He turned to the rest of the group. "We have to go now!"

Katara nodded. "I agree. Let's finish this, Aang."

And Sokka, Suki and Toph clapped the boy on the shoulder. Aang flicked the reigns of his beloved bison. "Come on, Appa! Yip-yip!"

…

Darkness. It pervaded all of Zuko's senses. He, Mai, Jin and Ursa had been blindfolded and taken aboard an airship. After a short ride in the speedy aircraft, he could feel it docking. He and the rest of the prisoners were then marched off the ship, deep underground. He felt like he was walking for an eternity, when his captors stopped him.

"We're here," he heard Ying saying. His blindfold was lifted, along with the blindfolds of everyone else. He looked around.

He was in a deep underground cavern. There was a rocky bridge, leading to a giant altar in the middle. Below them was a bottomless cavern. They were then forced to march along the narrow bridge, right to the larger rocky platform in the center, where the altar was located.

There were dozens of Imperial Firebenders, and sitting on a portable throne next to the altar was -.

"Father!"

Ozai stood up, folding his arms. "Ah, the boy that would be Fire Lord – if I hadn't disowned him!"

Ursa had regained her movement and speech, and she stared hard at her husband. "Ozai."

The Phoenix King's eyebrows were raised. "Ah, my dear wife. You look as lovely as ever." He walked over to her, running her fingers along her cheek. She visibly shuttered.

Ozai stepped back. "What's the matter? Didn't you miss me during your exile?"

"Not you. I missed the man you used to be! The man I fell in love with!"

"I'm still the same person, Ursa."

"No, you're not! The man I married could never burn his own son and banish him! The man I married could never use his daughter as a weapon – taking away her very childhood! What I would do to you if I weren't bound …"

Ozai cocked his head. "What would you do, Ursa?"

She remained silent. Ozai then marched over to the altar. "This is an interesting place isn't it?"

"Fabulous," was Zuko's sarcastic response.

"Yes. Avatar Ko-Rei told me all about this place. He was quite informative. This altar is dedicated to the Air Spirit – Qigong."

"Qigong?"

"The Air Spirit. You see, I plan to kill the Air Spirit, thus crippling the Avatar and removing any last trace of the Air Nomads – forever."

Zuko ground his teeth. "You're insane! Don't you realize what that'll do?"

"Now Zuko, that's no way to talk to your father! Do I need to re-teach you that lesson about respect? Although, I must say, your face could use the symmetry with two scars!"

Ursa was disgusted. "You monster!"

"Oh Ursa, that hurts me. I gave this family everything! Money, power, food, shelter, fine clothing -."

"What about love? You neglected to give your children that!"

Ozai was taken aback. Anger was etched across his face. "Don't you dare tell me I didn't love my children! I gave them everything! Everything I did, I did for them!"

"Including burning your son's face?"

"It was for his own good! I had to knock that disrespectful streak out of him! But there's just something wrong with the boy! He refuses to learn any lessons. He gets that from _your_ side of the family."

Zuko was indignant. "I learned it from Uncle! He's my _true _father!"

"Your uncle's a traitor! Just like you are!" He snapped his fingers, and several Imperial Firebenders dragged a struggling figure out of the shadows. "Speaking of traitors…"

The Firebenders threw the figure onto the ground. The light hit her face, stunning everyone who saw her.

Zuko gasped. "Jin?"

The girl looked up at him with tear-stained eyes. She lowered her face, unable to meet his gaze. "Zuko … I'm so sorry …"

"What did you do?"

Ozai was cackling. "Weren't you wondering how we found out where you and your pathetic band of friends were hiding out? It wasn't just a lucky guess. We were tipped off."

Jin was crying into her arms. "Please…"

"Jin … _you_ were the one who tipped off the Fire Nation? And you were going to let Long Feng and Pythos grill for it?"

_"I'm sorry …"_

"Told you I didn't like her," Mai growled.

"Please … it was for you! The Princess … she promised me she would spare you if I told her where you were hiding."

"You trusted Azula? As if she would keep up her end of the bargain?"

"She was very persuasive!"

Zuko clenched his fists. "How long? How long have you been tipping her off?"

"Since we left Ba Sing Se. After Aang ran away, she came to me. She told me she would spare you and everyone else… Please, I didn't know she would betray me…"

"You didn't know? _You didn't know?_"

Jin buried her face again, unable to even look at them anymore. She just lay there, facedown, sobbing.

Ozai taunted her. "What tangled web we weave …" He turned back to the altar. "Now for the main event. I call it – Spirit Slaying!"

"Hold it right there, Ozai!"

The Phoenix King whirled around to see Iroh joining them. Ozai rolled his eyes. "Oh great! It's just a regular family reunion!"

Zuko and Ursa were both ecstatic. "Uncle! How did you know we were here?"

Iroh was beaming. "I had an inkling." He then addressed Ozai. "You don't change your methods, do you? Neither do you learn from your mistakes." Zuko noticed that Iroh's voice seemed almost … sad.

The Phoenix King's eye was twitching. "I don't make mistakes!"

"You did when you sent Admiral Zhao to kill the Moon Spirit at the North Pole. Like I said, you do not learn from your mistakes. You must listen to me … the Spirits cannot be trifled with. If you kill Qigong, it will put the world even more out of balance than it already is! You must stop this! You must make Azula give up the Dark Avatar Spirit, or everything you hold dear will be destroyed! The whole world will be destroyed!"

"Stop with that nonsense Iroh! I will have none of it."

"You must! Please, Brother -."

"You are not my brother anymore, Iroh!"

Iroh's eyes misted over, and small tears leaked out. He ignored those hurtful words and continued his pleading. "Azula has already put the world out of balance. Today is the Autumnal Equinox. The worlds are merging, can't you see it!"

"What I see is a pathetic old man who is only a shell of his former self!"

"Please, Ozai, I beg of you. I've heard the rumors. A Yokai was spotted only twenty-three miles from here."

Ozai was incredulous. "A Yokai? Iroh, would you just listen to yourself? I think drinking all that tea has addled your brains. I mean honestly, a Yokai? Who _really _believes in those kinds of fairy-tales anymore?"

"I assure you, they are real. And they are here. And if balance is not restored, they will consume everything in their paths – including the Fire Nation!"

"Listen to me very carefully. The. Yokai. Don't. Exist! They're merely fairy-tales, used to frighten the gullible and small children. Really, you'll have to do better than that!"

"Ozai … you are such a fool …"

"And you're a tea-drinking, lazy failure! You allowed your emotions to get in the way! You are weak! You gave up you attack on Ba Sing Se merely because your son died in battle! A _real_ man would have continued fighting! A real man would have taken Ba Sing Se and pillaged the entire city, razed it to the ground even! A real man would have taken vengeance for his son! But no – you are not a real man! You're a failure! You're washed-up, fat, lazy, stupid, good for absolutely -."

"SHUT UP!"

Zuko's scream rang throughout the cavern, causing several small stones to drop. Zuko was seething with rage. "You'd be lucky to be half the man Uncle is!"

"Is that so? Look where Iroh is, and look where I am. He's an outcast, who makes tea for a living. I am the Phoenix King, ruler of the Fire Nation – soon to be ruler of the world!"

"Don't you get it, Father? The status doesn't make the man! The man makes the status!"

"How dare you speak to me that way, Zuko! Your mother and Uncle refused to discipline you! That lack of discipline turned you into a full-blown traitor!"

"I think Ursa and Iroh did a bang-up job," replied Ty Lee defiantly.

"Ursa was a good Mother," Mai replied scathingly. "You didn't deserve such a fine woman as a wife!"

Ursa was blushing, and for the first time she shot Mai a small smile.

"Ursa _this_, and Ursa _that_," Ozai spat. "Let you me tell you something about Ursa. She is _not_ the sweet, innocent thing that you think she is!"

"Don't try to paint her with that brushstroke, Father!"

"I'm not painting anybody anything. I'm just stating facts."

Ursa was turning pale. "Ozai, please don't…"

"Please don't what? Reveal you for what you really are? Shall I tell them, Ursa? Shall I tell them that it was _you_ who encouraged me to take the throne! That it was _you_ who killed my father, Fire Lord Azulon!"

"I already knew this," Zuko shot. "And it was because you would have killed me otherwise! Sorry, Father, you'll have to do better if you want to mar Mother's character!"

Ozai placed his hands on his hips. "Oh, but your mother supported me long before that. It was her idea that I take the throne. She was the one who pushed me towards it. She was the one who cleared the path to the throne!"

Ursa was trembling. "Ozai, I'm begging you …"

Ozai turned to Iroh. "You never knew this part, did you? You never learned why…"

"Why what?"

"Why you are without a son!" An evil grin spread across Ozai's face. "Don't any of you realize it yet? Lu Ten was not killed in battle! It was Ursa who personally gave the order for Lu Ten to be killed in order to clear my way to the throne!"

Ying stepped forward. "And I was so happy to oblige her order!"

The room was filled with shock. Ursa's head was lowered with shame … even lower than Jin's. Iroh couldn't speak.

Zuko, however, managed to find his voice.

"Mom, is this true? Please tell me it isn't true. It can't be."

Ursa sniffed back some tears. "It's true. I was the one who ordered Ying to kill Lu Ten and make it look like a casualty of war. I'm so sorry…"

And the only sound was Ozai's laughter, echoing off the cavern walls.

…

Azula stood in a courtyard just outside of the Southern Air Temple. She spent the past five minutes surveying it. It was large, square. It led right outside the temple to the Patola Mountains.

"Yes, this should do for an arena. This should do nicely…"

"Please don't hurt him…"

Azula wasn't surprised to see Malu standing there, with imploring eyes. "Aang is a good guy. He was so kind to me … please don't hurt him!"

"So you think the Avatar is a 'good' guy?"

Malu nodded, and Azula scoffed.

"He is no such thing. He's actually quite self-serving. He appears 'noble' on the surface, but that is all just a ruse. And I will reveal him as the sniveling wimp that he is. He cares only for himself – and I will prove it before I end his miserable existence!"

"He is not! He's nice, and good!"

"Nobody is nice and good. Everybody is self-serving, don't you get it?"

"Your mommy seems really nice!"

"My mother is the worst kind of scum there is! Like the Avatar, she may seem nice and noble, but that is all just a front! You see, my mother is a warrior. And the true warrior does not rely on just combat. The true warrior uses deception; he attacks the emotions, throwing a blind over your eyes to conceal what he's really doing to you. The warrior attacks and manipulates the emotions. I learned that at a young age, and it's a strategy I employ myself."

"But what if you're wrong?"

"I haven't been wrong yet…"

"But say you are? What if Aang and your mommy really are nice people – and you kill them?"

"Listen kid, we can talk about possibilities until we're blue in the face. I'm going to kill the Avatar. And I'm going to make my mother suffer – the way she made _me_ suffer."

"But -."

"No buts. Face it kid, there's nothing you can say or do to change my mind. I am going to destroy your friend, the Avatar. And there's not a darn thing you can do about it!"

…

"The Southern Air Temple."

Aang felt kind of funny returning here. This was where it all began.

This was where it would end.

It would end where it began.

He slid off of Appa's saddle, grabbing his staff. Katara and the rest prepared to slide off, but Aang shook his head. "Don't."

"We're not letting you face Azula all alone," protested Katara.

"This is something I _have_ to do alone, Katara."

"Over my dead body!"

Aang shook his head again. "Why did you have to phrase it like that? Like I said at the beginning of last summer, after I awoke on that boat – I'm not letting any of you die to clean up my mistakes. You may not understand, but this is something I have to do alone."

"But why?"

"I think I can clear it up," interjected Sokka. "It's like a Warrior's Code type of deal. This is something Aang has to do by himself. And I think we should honor it."

"You're just going to let him face the strongest bad guy of all time because of some sentimental warrior baloney?" Toph was incredulous.

"Please, Toph. Honor this request for me …"

"We're helping you," spat Katara. "And nothing you can say or do can change my mind."

Aang looked Katara deep in the eyes. "I'm sorry things didn't work out between us Katara. I never meant to hurt you. I want you to know that … just in case. I love you, Katara."

Katara was crying softly. "I love you too, Aang…"

"Please … honor this request. I couldn't live with myself if Azula did something … if you were hurt…"

"But Aang -."

She was cut off as dozens of fireballs whizzed around them. Airships floated in the sky, and dozens of tanks were climbing their way up the mountains, using chains as lifts.

"There's no time! You have to save yourselves!"

Another fireball nearly struck Appa.

"Go!"

Appa levitated up into the air, dodging the fireballs.

Suddenly, Katara leaped out of the bison's saddle, landing firmly in front of Aang. "I'm not letting you face Azula alone! You can get mad, but I'm helping you!"

Aang shook his head sadly. "No … you're not Katara."

Before she knew what happened, her feet were encased in solid rock.

Aang looked at her, and his voice was cracking. _"I'm sorry."_

Katara couldn't even speak. This surpassed words for her. Aang leaned in, and the next thing she knew, his lips met hers. For a moment, the war going on disappeared, and it was just the two of them.

Too quickly it ended.

Aang flicked open his glider and took off towards the top of the temple.

Above, Appa had been busy distracting the airships. Toph leaped out of the saddle, freeing Katara's feet. "Gotta hand it to that crazy kid," Toph remarked as they watched Aang fly out of sight. "He sure knows how to make an exit."

Katara was enraged. "I can't believe he won't let us help him!"

"Who says we won't be helping him?"

Katara looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"Hellooo?" She waved her arms at the incoming tanks and airships. "We can keep the Fire Nation off his back while he deals with Princess Psycho!"

Sokka brought Appa in for a landing. "If you're all done chitchatting, we have some company!"

Katara and Toph joined Sokka and Suki aboard Appa's saddle. As she climbed aboard, she watched Aang's disappearing form.

"Good luck … Aang."

…

Azula was waiting impatiently in the giant, stone courtyard. She was twirling a strand of her hair between her thumb and index finger, counting the seconds.

But wait - he was here. She could sense him.

Aang appeared behind her, a sad look on his face.

"Finally," the Princess breathed.

She turned around so that they were face to face.

The hour they knew would eventually come had arrived at last.

The final battle.

Aang vs. Azula.

Avatar vs. Dark Avatar.

Winner take all.

…


	24. Chapter 24: The Eleventh Hour

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

…

Book 4:

Air

Chapter twenty-four:

The Airbender Cycle Part IV:

The Eleventh Hour

…

~0~

_It's not brave, it's selfish and stupid! We could be helping him - and I know the world needs him but doesn't he know how much that we need him too?_

~0~

…

It began with the boy in the iceberg. The world's last hope, buried in the deep, dormant, silent, as the world was ravaged above him. A century of war, violence, terror. A century of hopelessness.

But then, destiny has a way, does it not?

So as two siblings argued in their canoe, little did they know that they were ordained to crash into said iceberg, freeing the child within.

Hope was reborn that day.

It spread from there. Hope was brought to the Water Tribe. From there, it echoed across the globe – from Kyoshi Island to the shores of the Earth Kingdom. It spread to widows, orphans, soldiers – everyone whose lives had been affected by the war.

Hope came to the North Pole, which was assaulted by an invincible armada. It came to weary travelers, pregnant mothers, refugees trapped within the great walls of Ba Sing Se.

It was worldwide. And when things looked hopeless … when it looked like the Fire Nation would win once and for all, hope was there. It stared the Phoenix King right in the eyes, and fought a vicious, seemingly hopeless battle.

Destiny finds a way.

And now it was repeating itself. The world was once again without hope, falling to the infinite might of the Dark Avatar.

But hope was there again, now staring the Dark Avatar defiantly in the face.

The story had begun with the boy in the iceberg, and everything since then had been preparing him for this.

Only this.

To prepare for this final battle between the Avatar and the Dark Avatar.

The boy in the iceberg had returned. His story was coming full circle. Now he was back at his home, ready for the final battle of the ages. You see, the iceberg was not truly the beginning. It was here … at this temple.

There was a time when the boy in the iceberg didn't know of his destiny. The hopes of the world were not yet upon his shoulders. He lived here, played here, made friends here.

But it was here that his destiny was foisted upon him.

It is here that his destiny would be fulfilled.

At first he tried running from his destiny. But the more he fled, the faster it pursued, until he realized – there was no escape. As his story progressed, he realized he didn't want to escape it after all.

No.

The boy in the iceberg wanted to fulfill his destiny – not for his own self-aggrandizement. Not because he was consciously aware of his destiny. It was because of something else.

It was not because he was the Avatar, the bridge between worlds. It was not because he was some grand spiritual figure.

It was because of something very human.

It was his need to protect those he loved.

That was the driving force behind all of this. Not destiny or some other cosmic plan. He realized that now. He had run from love, tried severing himself from it in order to be the Avatar.

But now he understood … he was not just the Avatar.

He was human.

And as such, he felt love, and the need to defend it.

So as the sun sets on the world; as the Dark Avatar turns to face him; as her fingers twitch for the excitement of battle; as her eyes gleam with murder; the Avatar is not afraid.

No. Even though he was plagued with doubts, insecurities, rage, anger … even though he had lost himself for a while to despair, to isolating himself from his friends, from denying himself love … he had returned.

The Avatar had finally returned.

…

~0~

_Some of you may think that the Fire Nation has made you powerless…_

_But they can't take away your courage, and it is your courage they should truly fear!_

_Because it runs deeper than any mine you've been forced to dig, any ocean that keeps you far from home! It is the strength of your hearts that makes you who you are, hearts that will remain unbroken when all rock and stone has eroded away…_

_The time to fight back is now!_

_I can tell you – the Avatar has returned!_

~0~

…

It was nightfall when Aang finally arrived within the Southern Air Temple's courtyard. Azula had been waiting quite impatiently, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers.

_"Finally,"_ she breathed. The Princess turned around, her cold yellow eyes boring into her rival's warm, grey ones. "It's about time you showed up, Avatar. I was beginning to believe that you high-tailed it out of here, like a sniveling buzzard-wasp maggot."

"No. I'm here, Azula. I'm not afraid of you anymore. I've come to finally settle this."

"Good. I've been itching to finally snuff the life from your miserable form. To leave you an empty, broken husk at my feet. You'd better fight like you mean it, Avatar, because I've been preparing for this for quite some time. I'm more than ready."

"As am I, Azula. But we before we fight …" He lowered his staff and spread his arms out, palms towards her, as if to embrace her. "I'd like to offer you an invitation."

Azula cocked her head. "What is this?"

"An invitation for peace, Azula. An invitation to end this pointless bloodshed. You have the power, Azula. You have the power to end all the violence and death. To restore balance to the universe."

"Oh please tell me you're not about to give me one of those 'become a good guy' speeches. I think I might retch."

Aang was looking imploringly into her eyes. "You have a home, Azula … you have a mother who cares for you. And a brother who cares for you, though he may not admit it."

The Princess clenched her fists, her sharpened nails digging into her palms. "I have _no_ mother and _no _brother!"

"I don't want to fight you, Azula. I want to end this peacefully."

"Tough luck! There is _no way_ this can end peacefully! Stand up! Be a man, and finish this with me the proper way! The only way!"

"No. Not everything can be solved with violence."

"This ends the way I say it ends! Face it – this world isn't big enough for two Avatars! One of us has to go, and I say – it's _you_!"

In the blink of an eye, a lightning bolt whizzed past Aang's earlobe. Had he not moved quicker, he would have been deep fried right there. Spinning on his feet, he raised his staff in a defensive posture, knocking away several blue fireballs with some quick gusts of air.

Azula was walking towards him, a devious smirk playing on her lips. She performed a complicated hand motion, blasting Aang back with some Airbending.

Aang hit the stone wall of the courtyard, before recovering with blazing speed. "I'll never get used to Azula Airbending," he muttered.

Azula seemed to have heard him, as the smirk spread across her face. "So how does it feel? To know that you are not the Last Airbender anymore?"

"I gotta tell you, it doesn't feel that great!"

"But isn't that what you wanted? To find another Airbender somewhere? Well here I am, in all my glory!"

"You're not a true Airbender, Azula. The Airbenders believed in peace!"

"I do too! What do you think this is all about? I will bring peace to this world!"

Aang was incredulous. "Bring peace … through violence? Through war? Through bloodshed? That makes no sense!"

"You have no experience governing a nation! No idea how politics work! Maybe when you've had a little more experience running the world, you can tell me what makes sense. Oh wait! I forgot! You won't be around that long!"

She jumped high in the air, and Aang raised his staff, ready to meet her head on.

The final battle had begun.

…

"Iroh … I'm so sorry. I meant to tell you … but I just … I just couldn't …" Ursa's head was bowed, and tears were leaking from her eyes and dripping from her chin.

Iroh's own eyes were brimmed with tears, and he grimly shut them. "I do not know what to say…"

"What _can_ you say, brother?" Ozai was gloating. "Our dear, sweet Ursa took away your only son! You remember what it was like to be a father, don't you Iroh? How you held his tiny form in your arms. Raising him. Feeding him. Clothing him. His first steps. His first word."

Iroh couldn't look at any of them.

"Leave him alone," shouted Zuko.

Ozai struck him across the face. "Silence boy! Unless you wish for me to give you a second scar!"

Zuko looked at his father defiantly. "Yea, I would like that very much! I would _love _to have the opportunity to face you!"

"You couldn't even face me in an Agni Kai. What makes you think you have the guts to do so again?"

"I was a child then! Besides, the Avatar took away your bending! You're nothing but a powerless figurehead."

Ozai grinned before a ball of flame appeared in his palm.

Everyone stood there in stunned silence.

"H-how?" Zuko was stammering.

"Azula learned how to give people back their bending. So now here I am, with my full Firebending intact. Still care to back up your words, Zuko?"

"Leave Zuko out of this!" Ursa was glaring at her husband. "I've changed as well, Ozai. I admit, I was a murderess. A conniving, evil wretch! But I plan to make full amends!" With incredible agility, she broke free of her captors.

Ying growled with contempt. "Darn shirshu saliva … wears off after so long."

"And I'll be taking these back," she snarled, lifting her broadswords from one of the captors. She twirled them.

Ozai's face flashed with malice. "I've seen enough. Kill them all."

He backed away as dozens of Imperial Firebenders spread around across the circular platform. With lightning fast precision, Ursa slashed away at Mai and Ty Lee's bindings. The battle began.

Ursa fought her way through the Imperial Firebenders, cutting a swathe straight for her husband. She cut down two Imperial Firebenders, before having an open dash for Ozai.

And then she was there, husband and wife facing each other down. "This madness ends right now, Ozai! I'm taking back my family!"

"How sweet. You really do look incredibly attractive wielding weapons. Too bad you have to die now."

Ursa twirled her swords. "You'll have to defeat me first!"

"Oh, isn't this familiar? Remember how we used to spar with broadswords in the palace arena? Those were some pretty fun dates we had. Of course, you'll remember – I'm not a bad swordsman myself."

"What are you getting at?"

Ozai pointed at one of her broadswords, motioning for her to give it to him. "It'll be just like old times."

Grinning cockily, Ursa tossed him one of her swords. "Have it your way. If you really think you can out-duel me…"

"I know I can…"

"Then it's your move!"

With that, husband and wife crossed swords.

…

Off to the side, Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee were busy with Imperial Firebenders. These were not just random troopers. These were specially trained Firebenders – Ozai's personal Royal Guards. They would not go down so easy.

Ying, meanwhile, had launched himself straight at Iroh. The two older generals clashed, with tremendous displays of Firebending.

"Tell me, General Iroh – how did it feel to bury your only son?"

"You'll never know that feeling, Ying. But there could still be hope for you. If you turn from this path … perhaps you can understand the feeling of love towards another living thing."

"Bah, haven't I told you yet? I already found my one true love!"

Iroh cocked his eyebrow as he deflected Ying's flames. "Oh? Who?"

"Myself!" He tackled himself at Iroh, and the flames from their attacks careened all across Qigong's sacred site.

…

Katara, Toph, Sokka and Suki watched from Appa's saddle as bursts of lightning and fire exploded from the Southern Air Temple.

"This is it," murmured Sokka. "The final battle's begun."

Suki was nudging her boyfriend's arm. "Look!"

Below, hundreds of Fire Nation tanks were ascending the mountains, heading straight for the temple. "If they get to up to that temple, Aang's finished!"

Toph cracked her knuckles. "Well what are we waiting for? Let's go pummel some Fire Nation tin cans!"

Sokka opened up his knapsack. His face was flushed. "We don't have too many bombs left."

BAM! BAM!

With a cry, Sokka jerked Appa's reigns to circumvent an aerial attack. Above, several airships were coming in fast.

Katara improvised. "Drop me and Toph off below! We'll hold the tanks back as long as possible!'

Appa descended onto one of the mountain pathways below, dropping the Waterbender and Earthbender off. "Take care of yourselves," Sokka warned. With a flick of the reigns, Appa was airborne again as Sokka and Suki moved to distract the incoming airships.

Toph and Katara steeled themselves as infinite tanks crawled up the mountains towards them.

…

The two beams of fire collided, creating a towering inferno.

Again.

More fire.

Lightning tore from Azula's fingertips; Aang created his air scooter, riding it along the walls of the courtyard. Azula shot several fireballs at him, missing him by a fraction of an inch.

Aang propelled himself from the wall, flying straight at the Princess. He punched his fist forward, unleashing a jet of fire.

Azula countered with a wall of blue flame.

Aang landed on his feet, performing several complicated hand motions. A swirl of wind rushed the Princess. Azula countered with a strong gale.

The young monk paused – Azula had vanished. He looked around, on the defensive. Had she gone up into the air?

No.

The Princess popped up out of the ground, delivering a power-packed kick straight in the Avatar's spine. Aang let out a cry, flying into the air. He landed on his feet, and sweat trailed down his face.

A rope of water snaked around his ankles, and the next thing he knew, his feet had been taken out from under him.

He slammed into the ground hard, the back of his head bouncing off the earth. He saw stars. Azula lingered above him, the palm of her hand pointed straight at his face.

"Oh dear, I was hoping you would put up more of a challenge. I see that I was disappointed."

"Don't give up hope yet," Aang countered, and the next thing the Princess knew, Aang's legs wrapped around her ankles, flipping her onto the ground next to him.

In a flash they were both on their feet, charging each other. They covered both their bodies in rocky armor, racing head-on.

BOOM!

They collided headfirst with such force that their rocky armor shattered.

They hesitated…

Then spun towards each other, preparing to fry the other.

They were both blasted back; Azula recovered quicker and kneed Aang in the gut. The Avatar wheezed, and his eyes widened as more lightning came his way.

…

Katara and Toph held their ground. Hundreds of tanks were ascending to their position.

The two were ready.

As the first of the tanks came their way, Toph stomped on the ground, causing a small quake. It was enough to send the tank off balance, plummeting off the mountainside to the depths below.

Katara moved her hand in two slicing motions, and two water blades severed the wheels off of another tank.

That's when the tanks began simultaneously opening fire.

"Stand back, Sugar Queen!"

Toph raised her hands, erecting a stony barrier. It took the brunt of the attacks, but the force of the tanks began eroding it. In a moment, it was gone.

Toph let out a grunt, erecting a second barrier.

It too only lasted a few seconds.

"You got any ideas, Sugar Queen?"

"Sokka told me something a while ago about these tanks. Something about hydraulics."

"Hydra-what-now?"

"From what I could gather through his ramblings, these tanks are filled with water."

She pointed her hand at the nearest tank, and then suddenly, the water inside the tank burst out, causing the tank to literally fall to pieces.

"Not bad, Sugar Queen. But what do you propose we do about those?"

She points up to see dozens of airships headed their way.

Moreover, hundreds of Fire Nation troops were using ropes and ladders to scale the mountainside.

Katara and Toph were outnumbered.

And trapped.

…

Sokka and Suki watched as the airships descended on Katara and Toph. "Hold on tight," Sokka shrieked as he jerked Appa wildly to the side.

The airships were dead ahead, and Sokka intended to cut them off. Suki was having her doubts. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"No! But just hang on!"

…

Aboard one of the airships, the captain was enjoying a cup of tea when one of his underlings burst on to the deck.

"Captain!"

The captain was startled, and spilled his scalding tea all over himself.

"This had better be important, private!"

"It is, sir! I think you better take a look at this!"

The captain swiped the private's telescope out of his hand, and narrowed his eye at the lens. He could see a shape in the distance approaching them – and picking up speed.

"Sir?"

"The Avatar's bison." The captain tossed the telescope aside. "Put all ships on alert."

"But sir … the Waterbender and Earthbender – they're making mincemeat out of our tanks!"

"Yes … but I've also seen what the Avatar's bison is capable of. Order all ships to arm their ballistae and fire!"

"But it's only one bison."

The captain grabbed the private. "Listen to me! I want that bison blown out of the sky! That's an order!"

The private clumsily saluted. "Yes sir." He then frantically bounded inside the ship.

The captain narrowed his eyes as he watched the dot in the sky grow steadily bigger.

"That's it … just a little closer."

…

"Sokka!"

Sokka was fixated on cutting off the air fleet.

"Not now, Suki!"

"But Sokka -."

"What's so darn important?"

"That!" She pointed ahead and Sokka's face froze.

Hundreds of fireballs were ascending into the air and heading for their position. He patted the bison reassuringly on the head. "Steady, buddy. You know what to do."

Appa groaned.

Sokka bit his lip, drawing a little blood. "Stay on course for just a moment, Appa."

Suki was freaking out. "Are you crazy? At the rate those fireballs are gaining?"

Sokka grit his teeth. "Just a little bit longer…"

"They're getting closer!"

"Steady …"

"We've held long enough!"

"Just a little more …"

"Sokka!"

"NOW!"

Sokka jerked the reigns, and Appa twisted into a tailspin. Several fireballs coalesced, blowing up on impact. The others exploded in the sky.

Sokka pulled up in the sky. Suki was laying in Appa's saddle, holding on to her chest and hyperventilating. "That … was scary!"

"No sweat … Sokka-Khan strikes again!"

Suki raised an eyebrow. "Sokka-Khan?"

"It's a new nickname I'm working on." He patted the bison affectionately. "And good work, Appa! Look, those airships totally bought it!"

…

On the lead airship, the captain looked through his telescope again. He saw several fireballs strike where the Avatar's bison had been. There was a series of explosions in the sky, and then … nothing.

The captain lowered his telescope and smiled.

"Good riddance." He then turned to pay attention to the Waterbender and Earthbender on the mountain pass below.

…

Sokka steered Appa low enough that the airships wouldn't see them. The bison's toes grazed the mountain peaks.

"We need to get closer to one of the airships," Sokka said.

"Closer?" Suki was beginning to freak out again.

"Trust me … I have an idea!"

He flicked the reigns, and Appa came up behind the squadron of airships. Most of the troops and personnel aboard the airships were concentrated on the forward deck – their eyes on the mountain peaks.

Sokka brought Appa level with the rear of the airship's deck. He turned to Suki. "I need you to take over!"

"Me? But … I haven't had that much practice flying a sky bison!"

Sokka gave her a peck on the cheek. "I have full confidence in your abilities."

"But what are you going to do, Sokka?"

"I have an idea … I just need you to stay under the radar and if I need you …" He reached into his blue tunic and produced a tiny white shape.

Suki's brow furrowed. "Is that what I think it is?"

Sokka nodded. "The bison whistle. If I run into trouble, I'll blow it and Appa and you will come find me."

Suki and Sokka reached out and embraced each other. "Take care, Sokka. Be careful."

Sokka looked back at his girlfriend, deep into her eyes, wishing this moment would last. "You too, Suki."

They leaned forward, and their lips met.

All too quickly, Sokka broke the kiss.

"If I need you…"

Suki nodded. "I'll be there instantly."

Sokka climbed off Appa's saddle, Suki taking the reigns. He leaped over the railing and landed on the rear of the airship.

"Good luck, Sokka." Suki flapped the reigns. "Yip-yip!" And they were gone.

Sokka took a deep breath and made his way towards the cockpit.

…

Aang was on all fours, panting. He was covered in scrapes, bruises, cuts and other wounds. He staggered to his feet, ready to continue the fight.

But he was already pushing his limit. The battle had carried him to exhaustion, while Azula seemed just as fresh and energetic as ever.

Aang's panting continued. "She's … gotten a lot … stronger than I thought … she would."

Azula appeared out of the corner of his eye. She was smirking. "Tired already? I was hoping you would last a bit longer this time."

Azula's palm unleashed a gale force wind that sent Aang flying. He slammed into the courtyard's wall. A devious gleam appeared in the Princess' eye as she pointed her index and middle finger at him. She traced shapes in the air and suddenly, rocky bindings appeared around the monk's wrists, ankles and neck.

Azula had pinned Aang to the side of the wall.

There he hung, suspended, the rocky bindings too tight, cutting into his skin.

Azula skipped over to him, looking at him curiously. "What's the matter, Avatar? Thinking that you bit off a bit more than you could chew? You should've just gone into hiding. I would have never known. Then you could have lived."

"No. I could never abandon my friends like that … leave them to die."

Azula snorted. "What use are friends? They only get in the way. They get you so emotionally tied up and then destroy you. Friends weaken you … they get in the way of doing what needs to be done!"

A small smile flitted across Aang's face. "I used to think just like that …"

The Princess cocked her head. "Really? And what changed, Avatar?"

"When I realized that it wasn't my friends who truly limited me … it was me."

"Bah. Such sentimental drivel. Please hold your tongue from now on Avatar, I before I RIP it out!"

"I feel bad for you, Azula …"

BAM!

Aang's eyes widened, and he struggled to breath.

Azula's fist had made contact with his stomach.

"I don't want your sympathy!"

"But you need it …"

BAM!

Another punch to the gut.

"I would be silent, if I were you!"

"Wake up, Azula … this has never been about you and me … this is all about your father. Look at what he's done to you …"

BAM!

Aang couldn't take much more. He could feel one of his ribs – broken.

"One more word, Avatar … I'm warning you … one more word about my father …"

"He's turned you into something that you're not. Deep down, you're not a monster. You're a human being who is crying out for someone to love you …"

Azula's eyes were filling with tears. "Shut it, Avatar!"

"You could join the right side, Azula. You could find friends who care about you. Zuko did it. You can too. You could join our group …"

"Why would I ever want to do that?"

"Because you want it. On some level … deep down, you crave friendship. You always dominate others Azula … because your father taught you that no one is to be trusted. So you intimidate, threaten, manipulate people into doing whatever you want … because you don't think that you could inspire loyalty."

Azula looked down at the ground, her fists clenched, her eyes bathed in tears. For a moment, Aang thought he was getting through to her.

BAM!

Another blow – this time to the chest. Aang wheezed, desperate for air.

"Let's get one thing straight, Avatar. I don't need loyalty, I don't need compassion, and I don't need friends! Your words don't fool me for a minute! Just like I keep saying … you call me manipulating, yet you are doing the same exact thing to me! You are trying to manipulate me, twist my emotions, so that you can escape and defeat me. Well I'm not buying it!"

"Don't misunderstand my intentions, Azula. I'm offering you the hand of friendship!"

"No, you're offering me the bait of a coward!"

"So much anger, Azula. Tell me, is it because you're not winning as easily as you thought … or is it because my words ring true? Are you truly angry with me … or angry with yourself?"

Azula was indeed getting angrier. "I told you to shut it!"

"Deep down, you're in pain, Azula…"

BAM!

BAM!

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

Azula was in a frenzy. She began delivering punches, jabs and kicks all over Aang's stomach, chest and face.

"Fool!" She was screaming through clenched teeth. "You. Don't. Know. What. The. Meaning. Of. The. Word. Pain. Is!"

BAM! BAM! BAM!

"All my life, I've been looking for friendship! Yet everyone I ever cared about turned on me! My mother, my brother, Mai and Ty Lee!"

BAM! BAM! BAM!

"I offered them the hand of friendship! I gave them my love!" There were tears in her eyes. She was crying as she continued her speech and assault. "And they spat in my face!"

BAM! BAM! BAM!

"I learned that I can't trust anybody! Everybody will stab me in the back sooner or later! So I might as well dominate them – frighten them – before they do the same to me! I'll get them before they get me!"

She stopped her attacks, backing away from the monk. Aang's body was now bruised and battered all over. He struggled to breathe.

"Deep down …," he wheezed, "you don't really believe that…."

"Do not presume to tell me what I believe, Avatar! Do not!"

Aang smiled. "But you've revealed the contradiction. You say you can't trust anybody … then how is it that you trust your father?"

"Because my father … my father is not like the rest. My father is a saint! He is the only one who truly cares for me!"

"Then … why did he force you to train every waking moment of your life? Why did he use you as bait on the Day of Black Sun? You were unable to bend … why was he locked away nice and safe in his bunker and you were not?"

"Because … I was to protect him!"

"But he's the adult and you're the child. Shouldn't he have been the one protecting you?"

"Shut it, Avatar!" Her voice was dangerous.

"What about during the Comet? He left you behind to guard the Fire Nation, while he marched victoriously forth to conquer the world!"

"I said, shut it!"

"Your father is using you. He doesn't see you as his daughter. He sees you as his weapon – his tool! He cares nothing for you!"

"I SAID SHUT IT!"

Her voice rang throughout the courtyard. Her rage increased, and suddenly, the ground began quaking. The walls of the Southern Air Temple began to collapse, and pure energy began swirling around the Princess' form.

She began ascending up into the sky, her head bowed. Her body crackled with pure power; electricity swirled up and around her body. A sphere of air surrounded her.

When she raised her head, black light was bubbling out of her eyes and mouth.

Aang quickly broke out of his rocky bindings and rose shakily to his feet. He watched in horror as the power of Azula's chi increased exponentially.

His plan to get through to Azula's emotions had backfired. Instead of getting her to realize the truth about herself and her father, he had accidentally driven her too far.

Right into the Dark Avatar State.

Azula could feel the infinite energy coursing through her body. The rage … the rage was increasing too. She looked down to find the source of that rage.

The Avatar was below, watching in horror.

She would snuff out the source of that rage – once and for all.

…

Sokka snuck through the back of the airship. He would come to the edge of the hallway, peer around the corner, and sneak past any guards.

There it was – the cockpit.

Sokka rubbed his hands in excitement. Making sure no one was watching him, he slinked into the cockpit. There was the captain and a pilot inside. The rest of the crew was either inside the boiler room, or arming the ballista armament.

The warrior unsheathed his sword and knocked the pilot out with the butt of his sword.

The captain whirled around. "Huh?"

WHACK!

He was out cold before he hit the floor. Sokka beamed.

"Oh yeah, Sokka-Khan Strike!"

He noticed the ship beginning to veer off course due to the unconsciousness of the pilot. "Yikes!" He grabbed the wheel, angling it back into formation. He rubbed his chin in thought. "Now how did I do this last time?"

He grabbed the megaphone and put on the most masculine voice he could muster.

_"Attention crew, this is your captain speaking! I need everybody to assemble in the bomb bay. Somebody stole my toupee, and no one's leaving until I find it! Whoever took it is going to have heck to pay!"_

He smiled, satisfied with himself.

…

Dozens of Fire Nation troops and officials were assembled in the bomb bay. A helmeted troop nodded to a nearby officer.

"Hey, I'm Qin Lee. I work up in communications."

"Nice to meet you. I work in the boiler room; that's probably why we've never met."

Qin Lee shrugged. "Yea. I was stationed on another airship when we attacked the Earth Kingdom. The captain ordered us to the bomb bay to celebrate a birthday. Turned out to be a trick to get everybody together. We were all dropped into the sea."

The boiler room worker shook his head. "That's rough buddy."

An Imperial Firebender ran into the crowded room, waving something hairy in his hands. "Okay! I admit it! I took the captain's toupee! I thought it was very stylish and I had a hot date tonight!"

FOOSH!

The floors of the bomb bay opened wide, and the entire crew was dropped to the mountains below. They landed on the trees and other pieces of landscape, moaning and holding their sides in pain.

Qin Lee surfaced among a prickly bush. He shook his helmeted head as the boiler room guy landed next to him.

"Not again!"

…

Sokka spun the steering wheel in his hands. "Now that that's taken care of…"

He twisted the airship out of formation. He closed one eye, trying to line up the linear path of the vessel. "Right there." He slightly turned the wheel, moving the vehicle along with it.

He grabbed a piece of rope off his belt, tying the steering wheel to a nearby pipe, keeping the wheel in place.

"That should do it."

That left the airship on a collision course with the airship in front of it.

"Now to get out of here."

He whirled out of the room, sprinting through the halls, up the ladder, arriving at the deck. He withdrew the bison whistle and blew as hard as he could.

He looked ahead and saw the airship flying quickly towards the one in front. He had less than twenty seconds before there was a collision.

He blew again.

No sign of Appa.

"Come on Suki, where are you?"

Ten seconds till collision.

He blew again.

Five seconds.

Nothing.

Three.

Two.

Making a split second decision, Sokka sprinted across the deck, gaining speed, and jumped clean over the edge of the railing, towards the mountaintops below.

Sokka was in free fall, the wind blowing his lips back. He was nearing the mountaintops, bracing himself to splat.

Instead of landing on jagged rocks, he landed on something soft and cozy.

"Appa?"

He had landed facedown on the bison, his face plastered right in Appa's rear. Sokka bleched and skidded back into the saddle. He angrily glared at Suki.

"What took you so long?"

…

Up above, the out of control airship crashed into the second one. The second one was propelled forward by the force of the crash, colliding into a third airship. There was a fantastic fireworks display as all three airships exploded, sending down pieces of twisted metal.

Suki raised her fist in a cheer.

"Yea! That's a Sokka-Khan Strike!"

Sokka smiled that his girlfriend had picked up his new catchphrase. He looked down at the mountains to see hundreds of tanks bearing down on two dots.

Those dots were Katara and Toph.

They were losing ground.

Sokka and Suki looked at each other and nodded.

"Let's go!"

…

Azula had gone mad.

Aang had truly hit a sore spot within her, and that had now unleashed the beast within. This had happened only once before – during Sozin's Comet, when she had been defeated by Katara and Zuko. They had chained her down, and she went into a fierce rage. She had been on the verge of entering the Dark Avatar State that very night, but didn't follow through.

Azula was tearing apart the Southern Air Temple, pulling down columns, walls, anything else she could, and hurling them at Aang.

Using Airbending, the monk dodged and evaded her attacks, but he wouldn't be able to hold her off forever. Furthermore, he was devastated as he saw his old home being demolished before his very eyes.

He landed outside the demolished courtyard. Azula was following him in the air, attacking relentlessly with Earthbending.

His only chance was to enter the Avatar State – but he feared what would happen if two such superpowers were to clash.

Azula wasn't going to give him the chance to find out. She was on him in an instant, tearing apart the ground beneath him.

He flipped into the air, twirling on his glider. He ascended up into the night sky.

Azula was right behind him, fire on her heels, propelling her forward. She reared her fist back, unleashing an intense jet of blue flame.

Aang spun out of the way, darting away from the maddened Princess' attacks.

He needed a distraction … a way to buy a couple seconds worth of time.

Instead of continuing the chase, Aang did something Azula didn't expect.

He landed and stood his ground. The Princess was momentarily taken aback, but not enough to be stalled. She flew straight at Aang.

Aang disappeared beneath the ground.

Azula snarled, landing her feet on the soil. She kneeled down, and pounded the ground with her fist, causing a massive quake.

But Aang was no longer underground.

In fact, he had silently popped up behind her. He slowly tiptoed away, while the Princess cursed. He needed to find a hiding spot – and do so quietly, without her realizing it.

SNAP!

Aang stopped in midstep. He had stepped on a twig.

Azula raised her head, listening. She spun around, and before Aang could react, she flew straight at him, charging him right into a stone wall. The back of Aang's head smacked against the wall. Azula gripped him by the neck, and tossed him aside like a rag doll.

Wheezing, Aang tried to crawl away. Azula lazily strode over to him, tilting her head curiously, the glowing light spewing from her eyes.

She was on him again, towering over him, grinning insanely.

Aang gasped, and collapsed onto his stomach. "D-darn … I was … so close …" It was over now. He had run out of options and Azula had him cornered. There was nothing he could do but wait for her to deliver the final blow.

Instead, she spoke. When she spoke, she spoke with all the power of the Dark Avatar Spirit. Her voice was a mixture of hers, and a fierce, demonic voice. _**"Do it. Do it now."**_

Aang looked up at her curiously. "W-what?"

_**"Your Avatar State. Do it now!"**_

"Is … is this some kind of trick?"

_**"I want to destroy you. But it would be terribly unsatisfying to destroy you like this. I want to crush the life out of you while you're at your best. To prove that I am truly the superior Avatar. Do it!"**_

She spread her arms out to show that she wouldn't make any attacks, and to Aang's amazement, she levitated back up into the air, grinning broadly.

Aang staggered to his feet, groaning through the pain. The pain was incidental – it meant nothing. Ignoring the weakness of his body, Aang allowed the tremendous power of the universe to ebb through his body. He was the sieve to all of the incredible energy.

There was a swirling wind, and Aang began levitating into the air. His eyes and mouth glowed with intense white light, and his Airbending tattoos lit up. He rose until he was equal height with Azula.

The two adversaries stared each other down.

There was a moment's hesitation…

And then the two charged at each other, beginning one final titanic struggle between the two superpowers.

The winner would decide the fate of the universe.

…

Sokka landed Appa nearby where Toph and Katara were battling it out with the tanks.

Sokka was motioning to them. "Get on!"

Katara spun out of the way of a tank's attack. "What about these tanks?"

"We don't have time! There's too many! Just hurry up and get on Appa!"

"You don't have to tell me twice," grumbled Toph as she prepared to climb aboard Appa.

As Katara began climbing onto Appa's saddle, she saw large streaks of light and giant explosions burst through the sky.

"Aang …" She could only watch as he battled the Princess in the distance. She pulled herself all the way up onto Appa's saddle. "We have to help Aang!"

Sokka nodded. "It doesn't look good from where I'm sitting." He flicked the reigns. "Yip-yip!"

Appa ascended up into the sky, preparing to fly towards the temple.

Suddenly, the beast jerked violently, and let out a pained yell. Sokka leaned forward, concern spreading across his face.

"Appa?"

He noticed a wound forming in the bison's underbelly – given directly from a Fire Nation tank. Appa let out a pitiful groan, before crashing into the ground below.

"What happened," shrieked Toph.

Sokka was the first one off. "It's Appa! He's hurt!"

The bison was whimpering – unable to fly.

More tanks were scaling the mountain. Their position was being overrun.

And with Appa wounded and unable to fly, they were trapped.

…

Aang and Azula clashed in midair. Their attacks met head on with such equal intensity, that they cancelled each other out.

Water strikes.

Flying boulders.

Fireballs.

Bursts of air.

All four elements were bended around them. Bits of ground were ripped up, and violently clashing bolts of lightning forked around them.

The two charged, punching, kicking, blocking – all in midair.

Azula grabbed Aang in a bear hug, and dive-bombed him straight into the ground. Aang burst out of the rubble, and the two took to flight again.

Around them, nature itself was going crazy. The force of both Avatars was literally causing the world around them to collapse. Violently spinning tornadoes spiraled straight out of the sky. Torrential downpours soaked them. The lightning was continuous.

The earth itself began tearing apart under the weight of their battle. Fissures appeared in the ground, and molten hot lava spewed into the air.

It was like looking at the end of the world.

Neither gave an inch. The bold power of their respective Avatar States was raw – a well of infinite energy that manifested physically.

Azula fired a bolt of lightning that sizzled and cracked the air around it. There was a clap of thunder that followed.

Aang redirected it away into the night sky.

Huge jets of flame were flung in all directions. Azula was literally pulling parts of the Air Temple off its foundations, hurling them at her opponent.

Aang zigzagged in midair. Azula was following him; a high speed aerial chase ensued.

Azula pulled up alongside him, her fist about to connect with his cheek. Aang dodged in midair. Grabbing her wrist, he flung her over his shoulder, sending her hurtling to the ground below.

She stopped herself with a blast of fire from her hands. Igniting her heels with flame, she zipped back into the sky.

The two stared each other down.

Then the battle was joined again.

…

_CLANG!_

_CLANG!_

The sound of swords clashing echoed throughout the underground chamber. Ozai and Ursa were involved in a fierce duel with their broadswords. Their swords crossed time and again, parrying, blocking, slicing.

They circled; their swords went at it again.

"It's like we're dancing," Ozai mused. He leaped over one of Ursa's attacks, before unleashing a downward slice to her head. Ursa turned his weapon aside.

"It brings back so many memories," Ozai said in a dreamy voice. His face suddenly turned deadly serious. "What do you hope to gain from all this? I have thousands of troops. Even if you defeat me, you cannot _possibly _hope to defeat all of them. Much less Azula!"

Ursa thrust her sword forward. "I hope to gain my freedom from you! Redeem myself and be free from all the nightmarish schemes you and I cooked up!"

"Ah, I see. So this is nothing more than an ill-conceived attempt at redemption? To make up for you plotting to push me to the throne and killing Lu Ten?"

Ursa's blade nicked her husbands side. She tilted her head, smirking. "I think I'm doing a pretty good job so far."

Ozai growled. "You are no longer my wife!"

"Oh Ozai – that hurts me." She spun her blade in her hand and motioned for him to make the next move. "Come on Ozai, give us a kiss!"

With a snarl, he threw himself back into battle.

…

Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee were busy with a battle of their own against a dozen Imperial Firebenders. Zuko was going toe to toe with one of the more powerful ones, while Mai and Ty Lee did their best to handle some of the others.

Nearby, Iroh was dueling Ying in a fierce battle. "Give it up, General Iroh. You can never beat me!"

Iroh chortled. "Perhaps not. But that doesn't mean I cannot try, does it?"

"You're just a crazy old man!"

"Maybe. But as the proverb goes: Youths are like the waves of the sea; the elderly have strength instead of tide."

"Oh Iroh – you really do need to have every square inch of your butt kicked!"

Flames poured out of both their hands.

…

There was cry of pain, and everyone stopped what they were doing to see Ursa's sword go spinning from her hands. She fell to the ground, rolling over on to her side. Ozai's boot connected with her skull.

"How did you think this was going to go Ursa?" He was circling her now, twirling his sword in his hand. "You'd defeat me, save the world, restore your family? That's a laugh! Not only will I kill you, but also that whelp that dares call himself my son! Iroh too. I will cleanse my family of all its impurities!"

Ursa looked up at him. "And what of Azula? What if you decide she's 'impure'?"

"Then she'll have to go as well. In fact, I have been thinking of having her eliminated. After all, I have had my Firebending restored. I don't need to rely on her as much as before. Besides, it might occur to her that her power dwarfs my own. She might turn on me, attempt to take my place as the Phoenix King!"

"You … there's no words to describe you, Ozai. You're just plain evil…"

"Well … evil is a matter of perspective." He raised his sword. "Goodbye, Ursa."

…

"I hope somebody has an idea." Suki was backing up, her fans unsheathed. The tanks were bearing down on them.

Katara looked to her brother. "Sokka … you're the plan guy. Come up with something."

The tanks were preparing to open fire again. Sokka was gently patting Appa's head, trying to comfort the wounded bison. "Toph."

"Yea."

"We need to get to the temple!"

"Well what do you want me to do about it?"

Sokka scratched his chin. "According to Zuko's Uncle, there are a series of underground pathways beneath these mountains. One of them should lead to the temple."

Toph cracked her knuckles. "I'm on it."

With a wave of her hand, they disappeared below ground – Appa and all.

…

Below ground, they made their way through an underground pathway. Toph bended the earth so that the pathway moved like an escalator. This way, they were able to transport Appa along with them.

"Okay, so we're going to the temple." Katara's brow furrowed. "Then what?"

Sokka gulped. "We help Aang whether he wants it or not."

"I thought we were 'honor bound' not to?"

"Yea … but I think we should hang that honor business for now."

There was suddenly a massive earthquake. The ground beneath and above trembled with extreme ferocity.

"An earthquake?" Toph was trying to sense what was going on with her feet. Her face suddenly turned deathly serious. "Guys – I really think we should move!"

"Move?"

Toph pointed behind them.

A wave of lava was spewing towards them.

Sokka agreed.

"MOVE!"

…

Ozai was preparing to deliver the final blow to Ursa, when the earthquake struck. Everybody had to grab hold of something so as not to fall off the narrow pathway leading to Qigong's altar.

"What's happening?" Zuko and Mai were holding on to each other.

"It is as I feared." Iroh's face was solemn. "The Autumnal Equinox – combined with the force of the battle between the Avatar and the Dark Avatar – is tearing the earth apart. In a matter of time the earth will be destroyed."

Ozai glowered. "Nonsense!"

Below the altar, scalding hot magma was bubbling its way up.

Iroh looked at his brother. "Nonsense or no, I really think we should all get out of here!"

Ozai snarled, but then lowered his head. "Agreed."

…

The battle at the archipelago was taking a turn for the worst. The heroes were slowly being routed by the increasing numbers of the Fire Nation.

Hakoda, Bato and Bumi fought side by side. They watched with dismay as more of their men fell to the onslaught of the enemy.

More tanks were treading their way across the archipelago, reinforced by thousands of troops who marched in uniform.

Hakoda looked over at Bato and proffered his hand. Bato took it uncertainly. "Thank you for standing by me, through thick and thin, Bato. You really have been my best friend."

Tears formed in both their eyes, and a bittersweet smile crossed Bato's face. "It's been an honor serving you, sir."

The two friends nodded, and then with a yell, they charged towards the line of Fire Nation troops.

Suddenly, there was a fierce roar. The sound of it pierced the skulls of everyone on the archipelago.

There was a flash of light, and four Yokai appeared. The giant spirit monsters roared in unison, and then began savagely attacking and destroying everything in their way. They made no distinction between the Fire Nation or the good guys.

Everybody was their target.

Hakoda and Bato stood there, dread crossing their face as they saw the lines of Fire Nation troops being torn to shreds by the giant spirit monsters. They looked at each other.

"I suggest a new plan," Hakoda said. "Retreat!"

"I agree!"

Hakoda blew into a large horn by his side, and everyone, including the Fire Nation began running deeper into the archipelago.

The Yokai gave chase, screeching with a devilish howl as they went.

…

Storm clouds swirled above Aang and Azula, forking down lightning constantly.

The battle never let up its intensity. The two opponents went at each other with reckless abandon now.

More lightning.

They were both tiring, panting, but they would not give up. They bended all four elements at impossible scales.

The lightning forked down, narrowly missing them by a foot. They could feel the superheated air around them.

They circled themselves with a sphere of air, and charged each other. The battle went up, higher into the sky.

Azula was cackling insanely, and Aang's face was never more solemn.

Pure energy crackled from both their forms.

They charged again, this time both preparing to unleash their most devastating attack. Azula was already gathering her chi for one ultimate blast of fire.

Aang would counter with the most powerful Firebending move he could muster.

They were getting closer to each other.

Just a few feet away.

Inches.

They were about to clash head on.

BAM!

Before they could release their attacks, a bolt of lightning sliced downward from the cloud, striking them both.

Both were so concentrated on the other person that neither one had time to redirect it.

They both stood there, their bodies jolting.

Then the light stopped flowing from their eyes and mouths. The energy stopped swirling around them as their bodies returned to their normal states. Their eyes rolled back into their heads, and they both fell hundreds of feet.

The landed with a thump at the ground of the temple, their bodies smoking.

Both unconscious.

…

A hole appeared in the earth near the temple, and Toph, Sokka, Suki and Katara exited. They needed some help lugging Appa out, but with a might heave, they managed.

Sokka was looking around. "Oh no … this isn't good."

"What's not," inquired Toph.

"The battle … for some reason it's stopped."

"Well that's good … isn't it?"

"Not necessarily," Sokka interjected. "Azula … may have gotten him."

Katara glared at her brother. "Don't talk like that, Sokka! Aang will pull through. He has to." She was saying this more to herself than anyone else.

She pointed to a nearby pond. The monks had taken care of this pond at one point … now it had fallen into disrepair. The torrential rains had helped refill it.

"I'm going to get some more water." She waded into the pond, opening her satchel to gather more water.

She never noticed the shadow fall over her.

…

In his unconsciousness, Aang was having a vivid dream.

But … this one seemed so _real_.

He was zeroing in on Katara. She was near the temple, in one of the ponds. A shadow was falling over her.

He tried to call out to her, but he found that his voice cracked. He tried to reach for her, but his arms felt like lead.

He could make out distinct features of the shadow. It looked like an insect – a centipede. A dozen legs skittering around.

The shadow was ready to pounce.

He tried screaming.

"Katara! Katara!"

…

"KATARA!"

Aang bolted upright, his face drenched with sweat. He was wide awake now – he could feel the intensity of the lightning bolt … but yet there was no pain. Huh. That was strange.

But Katara …

That was no dream. It was a vision. Katara was in danger! He had to get to her now!

He looked over next to him, and there was Azula's unconscious form, lying prone next to him. He hesitated.

It would be so easy for him to use Energybending on her now – seal the Dark Avatar Spirit away.

But doing that would cost him precious minutes, and he might not get to Katara in time.

Making a split second decision, he turned and ran away, leaving Azula unconscious.

He had to save Katara!

…

Katara was quickly bending some water from the pond into her satchel when she noticed that the water around her ankles was turning to ice. "Huh?"

She waved her hand, trying to unfreeze it. She had some momentary success, but the water instantly refroze.

"What's going on?"

The more she tried to unfreeze the water, the more she found that the water froze.

"Hurry up, Surgar Queen," Toph called a few feet away. "We have to move!"

"I'm trying!"

She tried to pull her legs out of the icy water, but something was restraining her. It was like something was desperately trying to pull her underwater.

"KATARA!"

Everyone turned to see the young monk flying towards them on his glider.

Sokka stood up. "Aang? What's going on?"

Aang landed, and ran right past Sokka, nearly bowling Toph over. "Katara!"

"Aang?"

The monk leaped towards the pond, trying to grab the Waterbender.

Katara was instantly pulled underwater.

Aang landed hard in the pond, to find that the water had frozen instantly. He could see Katara's face beneath the icy surface … and then she was gone.

"NO!"

He scrabbled at the ice attempting to unfreeze it. But the water unfroze itself, and Aang was found in the shallow pond. Tears leaked out of his eyes. "No … no …"

Toph, Sokka and Suki rushed over to him. "Aang – what's going on? Where's Katara?"

Aang turned away, his head lowered, more tears falling. He had failed. He had failed to get to her in time … now she was gone.

"I don't even feel Katara's presence anymore," Toph was saying. "It's like … she just vanished into thin air!"

Sokka gripped Aang's shoulders and looked him very seriously in the eyes. "Aang … what's happening?"

Aang looked up at him with reddened eyes and wet cheeks. He choked on his words. He was finally able to muster his voice to say, "It was Koh."

Everyone looked at each other. "Koh?"

Aang was just staring off into space, the reality still sinking into his brain. The tears were flowing more steadily now, and he wouldn't even try to repress them anymore.

"Koh has taken Katara into the Spirit World …"

…


	25. Chapter 25: The Last Airbenders

The following is a disclaimer: I own no part of the Avatar series. They are copyrighted by Nickelodeon; this is merely a fanfiction.

Now that I've got that out of the way, here's the scoop. The Avatar series has ended happily, but I always felt that there should have been a Book 4: Air. Well, I decided to go for it and write one myself. Here's my interpretation of the 4th book. Enjoy guys, and let me know if you like it!

**Author's Note: Attention!**

**This is the final chapter of Avatar Book 4: Air. I wanted to thank all of my readers and reviewers who contributed so much. I wouldn't have gotten this far without you guys. All the long nights typing away … you guys are worth it all.**

**So sit back, put on some Avatar: The Last Airbender music, strap yourselves in, and join me in one last, epic ride together.**

**The end starts now…**

…

Book 4:

Air

Chapter twenty-five:

The Airbender Cycle Part V:

The Last Airbenders

…

Panic.

It gripped every warrior present with its icy tendrils. It made no distinction between friend or foe, ally or enemy. Fire Nation, Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom; they all tasted of it.

It was not just panic that gripped them.

It was hysteria.

Horror beyond all horrors had come upon them.

The Yokai had come upon them.

The ravenous, violent spirit monsters rampaged across the archipelago, laying waste everything in their paths. They couldn't be reasoned with. They didn't feel mercy. All they felt was insatiable hunger.

As the warring armies retreated from the monsters' invincible might, they came to a chilling conclusion.

There was no place to hide.

There was no getting away.

The Yokai would devour and destroy any obstacle in their paths. They were nothing but ruthless engines of destruction.

There would be no escape.

…

Hakoda scampered inside the dank cave, following several other warriors. They pressed their backs up against the cave wall, all of them panting.

A banshee-like shriek tore through the night, slicing their insides with an icy chill. The shrieks from other soldiers who didn't make it were enough to drive the staunchest warrior to infantile tears.

A voice broke the silence of the cave.

"Any plans, chief?"

Hakoda looked to see Bato, who was nursing a wounded side. Two Earthbenders were huddled together in the darkness, while a Firebender was trembling in the corner.

Hakoda chanced a brief look outside the cave. A flash of lightning illuminated the giant spirit monsters outside, as they tore through the forests and beaches of the archipelago.

"Giant monsters from the Spirit World. Well this is certainly a new one."

"Don't you have _any _ideas," Bato inquired again.

Hakoda ran a hand through his thick hair and let out a melancholy sigh. "For once I'm straight out."

The Firebender was indignant. "You're _kidding _me, right?"

Everyone turned to look at him. Hakoda couldn't help but chuckle. "Is that so surprising?"

"Look, I've fought in many battles against the Water Tribes. No matter what anyone says, you guys are very resourceful at the least. Heck, even my commanding officer has been stumped by your devices and traps. And you're telling me that you're straight out of ideas?"

"What do you want me to say? Sure, we might have come up with a few traps and clever schemes, but those only work against a few idiot Firebenders. Those monsters out there – they're _at least_ a hundred feet tall (and mind you that's a conservative estimate). And did I mention that they're spirits? I'm sorry, but our ideas only work against flesh and blood creatures. Not against the supernatural."

"Then perhaps we need someone who _is _supernatural," Bato pointed out.

"The Avatar? But he's off fighting the Fire Princess. How can defeat her and make it here in time?"

"I wasn't necessarily referring to the Avatar," said Bato. "I was referring to someone from the Order of the White Lotus. At least _one of them_ has been to the Spirit World before."

"If you're referring to General Iroh, he's all the way at the Air Temple."

"Oh," was Bato's response. "Well that puts a crimp in that plan."

"Any other suggestions?"

The Firebender slumped to the ground and let out a disheartened sigh. "Why bother? Why don't we just let those monsters eat us and get it over with?"

Hakoda glared at him. "No. I refuse to admit defeat. I refuse to give in. Come on now, there has to be a way out of this mess."

"I still say we go for the original plan," Bato said. "Find Iroh – or the Avatar. Or somebody."

"You're right," Hakoda admitted. "That's our only chance."

The Firebender snorted. "But … the Avatar is all the way at the Temple. How are going to get there with a bunch of spirit monsters wreaking havoc?"

"It's a long shot, but if we're going to get out of this alive, we're going to have to work together." Hakoda glared at all of them, especially the Firebender. "Do you think you can throw your lot in with Water Tribers and Earth Kingdomers?"

The Firebender considered it for a moment, before standing up, offering Hakoda his hand. "Truce … for now."

Hakoda nodded, gripping his hand. "Would you mind telling us your name?"

"Fen."

"Good to have you aboard, Fen." He pointed at the two Earthbenders. "And you are?"

"Ryu," the one replied.

The larger one inclined his head. "They call me Clay."

Hakoda spared a glance out the cave wall. The Yokai were drawing closer, and the sounds of screaming humans were perpetual.

"Ryu and Clay – do you think you could tunnel us underground?"

Clay cracked his knuckles. "No problem."

The two Earthbenders stomped the ground, creating a hole in the cave floor.

"Quickly," Hakoda shouted. "Get in!"

The five of them leaped into the hole, and it sealed itself up behind them.

…

Outside, the Yokai stopped attacking the fleeing armies. They lifted their faces towards the sky, sniffing the air.

Someone was getting away from them.

Their faces moved in the direction of a nearby cave.

With a demonic wail, they stomped toward the cave. With a bat of the hand, the rocky structure was completely leveled. One of the Yokai slid its foot on the ground. It could feel the vibrations of somebody digging beneath.

All of the Yokai let out a simultaneous screech that rattled the bones of everyone that heard it. Then the Yokai dug their enormous claws into the ground, burrowing after their prey.

…

"What do you mean _taken_?"

Sokka and everyone else seemed completely puzzled by this new revelation. Aang had sunk to his knees, his head bowed.

"Exactly what I said. Koh took her into the Spirit World."

Sokka gulped. "You mean … like how Hei Bei … took me?"

Aang nodded, and Sokka visibly shuddered.

Toph was pacing around anxiously. "So what we waiting for? Let's just go into the Spirit World and nab her back!"

"_We_ aren't going to do anything," Aang replied. "Only _I_ can enter the Spirit World."

Suki, on the other hand, was deep in thought. "Something's bothering me. Why would Koh take Katara?"

Aang's head sagged even lower. "Because … he feels that I haven't been doing my duties as Avatar right. He's punishing me, like he did Avatar Kuruk."

"But you're the bridge between worlds," Sokka protested. "You can follow him."

Aang's head rose. "I intend to." His voice was deadly.

"But what if you end up chasing him around forever, like Avatar Kuruk," Toph inquired. Everyone shot her a dirty look and she raised her hand defensively. "Okay, forget I said anything."

Sokka looked back at the monk. "What about Azula? Supposing you don't get Katara back before the end of the Equinox? The world is already destroying itself. If you don't come back in time …" He shuddered. "I hate to think of what'll happen."

"Don't think like that," Aang replied. "I _will_ come back. I can't just abandon Katara to her fate. I … I love her."

"I think we all do," Sokka said solemnly.

Aang could see everyone staring at him. Tears were in their eyes. "I'll be back," he comforted them. "I promise."

With that, he sat in a meditating position, and closed his eyes. His tattoos suddenly glowed, and Aang departed from this world into the Spirit World.

…

~0~

_Why would I let go of Katara? I … I love her!_

~0~

_You must learn to let go._

~0~

_You must gain balance within yourself before you can bring balance to the world._

~0~

…

Volcanoes were erupting all across the Patola Mountain Ranges. Fire and magma spewed out of any and all cracks and crevices within the rocks.

There was the sound of rock shifting, and a giant hole was punched into the side of the mountain, creating an opening from which a motley crew emerged.

Iroh, Ursa, Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, Jin, several Imperial Firebenders, Ying and Ozai.

This strange group emerged from underground on a narrow mountain pass just a short distance away from the Southern Air Temple.

They had been forced to leave Qigong's Altar due to the increasing seismic and volcanic activity underground. Luckily, Iroh knew the route out of the underground chambers.

So now here they all stood.

It was an awkward pause.

Ozai was the first to speak. "Okay, now that we're out of that mess…" He straightened himself up and pointed his fingers at Iroh and others. "Attack!"

The Imperial Firebenders moved into attack formation. Zuko slid into a battle stance, while Ursa twirled her broadsword next to him.

Iroh, meanwhile, hadn't reacted at all to Ozai's threats. He was pointing at the Air Temple nearby.

"Look!"

Everyone's gazed drifted past his finger to the spires of the temple.

"I don't see anything, Uncle," Zuko said.

"Exactly. The Avatar and Azula are no longer in combat. The battle is finished."

Ozai let out a hearty laugh. "I knew it! Azula must've annihilated that boy, just as I knew she would!" His sneering face settled on the group. "I would say that this war is just about over. I want you all to die with the knowledge that the Avatar – your last hope – is gone!"

Iroh shook his head. "Foolish Ozai. Always so quick to make hasty conclusions. Perhaps the Avatar was the one who is victorious. Perhaps neither. Perhaps both are merely taking a tea break."

Ozai's eye twitched. "T-tea break?"

"Yes. It can be very relaxing in the midst of battle."

"Enough of this foolishness!" Ozai stood up regally. "Men – attack the traitors!"

…

Koh's tree.

It stood as a menacing silhouette against a dull backdrop. Several weird spirits crawled around in the background, roaring and making odd noises.

Aang's boots splashed through the murky water. His heart was racing, the rage was building. He couldn't believe he was doing this. Just a week ago, he had cut himself off from everyone and everything he ever loved to avoid this very situation.

Now he was putting everything in line just to save her.

There it was – the entrance.

He stood before it, his heart thumping wildly. Or it would – if he were still in his body. He peered into the darkness, took a deep breath, and entered the cave.

As he crossed the threshold, a dim light cast a blood-red glare throughout the cave. Aang noticed several black shapes moving on the floor. He recognized the gooey black shapes – the Plasma Thieves he encountered in the Fifth Air Temple.

The plasma creatures stopped in their tracks, shifting shapes. They were all transforming before his very eyes – sprouting feet, legs, torsos, arms, and heads. His eyes squinted and he could make out distinct features.

The first Plasma Thief had transformed into the likeness of Monk Gyatso – only his eyes had a glazed over, dead look.

Aang gulped as he passed. The dead eyes were staring at him. As he continued walking, more Plasma Thieves were shape shifting, transforming into the likenesses of monks from the Southern Air Temple. Monk Pasang, Monk Tashi, all of his buddies – including Jinju, the dirty Airbender.

They were standing on both sides of the pathway, silent guardians staring at him.

A voice rung out of the darkness. _"Looking around, Aang, all I see are the faces of those whose deaths you caused. Men, women, children – all of them dead. Dead because you could not put your duties as Avatar first. Dead because you chose weakness and emotion and decided to run away into that storm a hundred years ago."_

"I-I didn't know that my actions would have such consequences …" He continued walking. More familiar faces.

His childhood friend Kuzon from the Fire Nation. Hundreds of unknown faces – soldiers, civilians, innocents. Occasionally he would spot someone he recognized.

The voice continued speaking. _"Look around you, Aang. These are the faces of men and women you could have saved."_

Others he recognized from pictures. Iroh's son, Lu Ten. Katara and Sokka's mother, Kya.

Princess Yue was lined up next, her dead eyes staring soullessly ahead, her mouth moving wordlessly.

_"You could have saved all of them. But you couldn't control your emotions. You gave in to love, despite my warnings. So now they paid the ultimate price."_

Soldiers. Aang had lost count of them by now.

Then there was Jet.

_"You should be among them, Aang. You should be dead too, and there should have been another Avatar after you – one who would have the strength to do what needs to be done!"_

The lights dimmed even more, as the Plasma Thieves shrunk back into the shadows.

Aang was alone.

"Calm," he told himself. "Be calm."

Something scurried behind him, and he closed his eyes, saying a silent chant. He thought of Katara, and he relaxed himself.

The sound of legs scuttling above him made him shudder. It sent a charge down his spine, and he slowly opened his eyes.

Koh was above him, walking upside-down on the ceiling. His current face was that of a woman with a white painted face, and red painted lips. _"You haven't done your duty, Aang. You haven't done as I warned you."_

"Your advice was good, Koh. But I found a better way. The Avatars and Monk Gyatso told me that I need to _balance_ the things I love with my duties. Not exclude one or the other."

Koh snorted, his face shifting to a fierce baboon. He slithered down the side of the wall, his body coiling around the monk. _"Is that what they told you? Hmm, it seems that they've gone a little far into emotionalism. They've grown to care for you, so naturally they would want you to be happy. Believe me when I say that they don't know what they're talking about."_

"I'm not here to argue philosophy, Koh." Aang maintained a calm composure, his face expressionless. "You've taken someone I care very deeply for. I would very much like to have her back."

The Spirit was chuckling. _"Isn't this familiar? It's just like your past life. And where is Avatar Kuruk now? On a hopeless quest to slay me for eternity. Is that your desire, Aang? To hunt me forever?"_

"Not at all."

_"Well I have no intention of giving you back that Waterbender. Her face will make a fine addition to my collection." _He sighed. _"This needs to be done, Aang. She was distracting you, hindering your duties. Just look at yourself. You had a _perfect_ opportunity to take away the Dark Avatar Spirit from Azula, and yet you blew it to rescue that Waterbender!"_

"I'm not leaving without her, Koh."

_"Perhaps … maybe we could come to a compromise…"_

"A compromise?"

_"You see … there's something _I_ want as well."_

"What do you want, Koh?"

_"For so long … I've been trapped here. Stuck in this … vile body. Passing the time stealing faces. I want to _live_ again! I want to return back to the mortal world!"_

"You … you were once a mortal?"

_"Millennia ago. Until Enma and the Avatar Spirits sealed me away in here. Cursed me to become this … this creature. So, I spent my time playing a devil's advocate. To ensure no one else would make the mistakes I did."_

"I'm not sure if I understand."

_"Haven't you figured it out yet, Aang? I was an Avatar once…"_

"An … Avatar? How come I've never heard of you?"

_"But you have …"_

Aang thought deeply about this.

_Where have I heard of him before?_

_Avatar Koh?_

_Koh?_

Aang's mouth fell open in surprise; he couldn't hide it. It didn't matter anyway – the Face Stealer made no move.

Aang pointed a shaky finger at the spirit, his mouth stuttering.

"It's you. You're … you're Avatar Ko-Rei!"

…

Pain.

It was a brutal sensation that coursed throughout the girl's small frame. The Princess slowly pulled herself into an upright position. She was still dazed – she nearly stumbled. She moaned as she rubbed her temples.

Azula looked around as her vision slowly returned to her. Dark shapes and objects began to take form and make sense.

Now she remembered! She had been locked in mortal combat with the Avatar when they had both been struck by lightning. Her eyes jerked around, looking for any sign of the monk.

None.

He was gone – slipped away while she had been unconscious. "Bloody coward," she snarled.

She took an unsteady step forward, her face a mask of rage, ready to obliterate the first thing that moved across her line of sight.

That's when she heard it.

It was such a tiny noise – barely noticeable above the background noise of the battle in the distance.

It was a sob.

Someone was sobbing behind her.

Azula turned around and saw Malu, hunched in a corner, sobbing quietly. Fresh tears dripped down the small child's face.

Azula rolled her eyes.

"What's _your_ problem?"

Malu looked at her from behind her hands. "It's … it's just … he's going to do … such bad things."

The Princess cocked an eyebrow. "Bad things?"

Malu nodded, before whimpering again.

Part of Azula loathed the girl for crying, for showing such weakness. The child needed to grow up, to accept that action, rather than tears, was what fixed everything.

And yet …

Part of Azula felt as though she ought to go over and comfort the child, put her arms around her, cradle her like a mother would her own daughter.

The Princess sighed. "Okay, who's going to do bad things?"

"The bad man."

"What bad man?"

Malu pointed a shaking finger at her. "Your … your daddy!"

"_My _father? What makes you say that?"

"I … I overheard him … a while ago … he's going to hurt you, I know it!"

Azula was struck by her words. "Don't be preposterous! My father would _never_ harm me!"

"He is!" And Malu's sobs grew louder. "And I don't want him to!"

The Princess decided to play along. "Okay, why don't you want him to?"

"Because … because … I kind of like you … even if you are a big fat meanie!"

The older girl's eye twitched. "Y-you like me?"

"That's what I said! Clean the gunk out of your ears!"

"Okay, so you like me and don't want anything bad to happen to me. Fine. So how is my father going to hurt me?"

"I'm … I'm not sure …"

The Princess waved her off. "Bah, I don't have time for childish games! Now tell me – where did the Avatar go?"

Malu shook her head. "He … he went to fight … the other bad guy."

"Other bad guy?"

"In the Spirit World."

"In the Spirit World?" Azula clenched her fist. "Then that must mean that his body is here – unable to defend itself." A smirk played across her lips. "Thank you, Malu. You've been a _big _help to me!" And she began trekking her way past the exterior of the temple.

"Wait," Malu cried. "Don't hurt him!"

"Don't tell me what to do, kid. I'll show you … I'll show you that you're wrong about everything. About the Avatar, about my mother, about my father – everything."

And she swept past, ignoring Malu's desperate pleas for her to stop.

…

"This island is larger than I thought!"

Hakoda was helping Bato out of a hole in the ground created by Ryu and Clay. They reached their hand in to help Fen up, but he batted them away. "I don't need help!"

The five warriors stood deep in the wilderness, surrounded by trees and wildlife. A blood-red moon hung above them.

"I think these woods go on for miles," Hakoda said.

"Just _great_," Fen grumbled. "Miles and miles until we reach the temple. And those vicious beasts won't be far behind!"

"And my legs are aching," complained Ryu.

"And I'm hungry," Clay finished.

Hakoda inspected the surroundings. "I don't suppose a five minute break would be a bad idea."

"Uh, _hello_?" Fen was waving his arms in exasperation. "What part of giant monsters chasing us don't you understand?"

"Those monsters are vicious," admitted Hakoda. "But I don't think they're too intelligent. And it'll take some time for them to pick up our scent."

"Five minutes ought to be long enough," Bato said. "Long enough for a rest, but short enough to keep some distance between us and those monsters."

Fen gave a sigh of resignation. "Fine." He plopped himself on a boulder and folded his arms in irritation.

Everyone sat in a small circle, on boulders or logs and they ate some food rations that Bato had stored in a pouch. It wasn't much, and the taste wasn't fantastic, but at least they had something in their stomachs.

"What caused you guys to finally get involved in the war," Fen asked.

Hakoda and Bato exchanged quick glances. Bato quickly took a bite out of his moldy bread.

The chieftain took a deep sigh. "For me, it was many things. For starters, you guys were conquering everything in your paths. I don't know about our Earthbending friends here, but slavery didn't seem all that glamorous to me."

Fen snorted. "You act like the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdoms are completely innocent! During the beginning of the war, the Water Tribes deliberately dried up the fountains and wells of several Fire Nation towns. The townspeople were dehydrated to death by you guys!"

Hakoda raised an eyebrow. "I never heard of that…"

"Well I've _seen _it! Do you know what it's like to die of dehydration? To feel the dryness of your lips – your tongue sticking to the roof of your mouth. Your skin loses all moisture until it begins cracking and breaking off. It's not a pleasant death."

"No death is."

"And as for the Earth Kingdom – I've seen entire towns buried alive!"

"That was war," Clay retorted.

"Those were civilians," Fen snapped. "Or have you forgotten the Guan De Massacre?" The Firebender folded his arms. "That's how I can't understand how you Water Tribers and Earth Kingdomers come off all high and mighty! You're guilty of innocent lives!"

"As is the Fire Nation," Bato roared. "You guys have taken far more civilian lives than we could ever hope to!"

Fen clenched his fist. "You Water Tribers … you took my wife away!"

There was a moment's silence, and Hakoda's eyes seemed mist.

Fen continued on. "It was an ambush. My wife was a Fire Nation noble. We were crossing an expanse of land in the northern Earth Kingdom by caravan along with other dignitaries. That's when you guys ambushed us.

"I tried protecting my wife. I knew that the Water Tribers were going after her because she had such political influence back in the Fire Nation. I could see carriages being overturned, ostrich horses running wild. Spears, staves, fighting. I was knocked unconscious by an attack from behind.

"When I came to, I could see there were no survivors. Friends, relatives … I remember screaming for my wife's name as I waded through the carnage. And when I found her …" He looked away, a tear rolling down his cheek. "She had been killed with a machete. She was a civilian – we all were then. We were just travelers at the time, not involved at all with the war. And you guys murdered all of them, save me!"

Fen stood up. "That's why I decided to fight! To protect my nation from savages such as you! To make sure that no one else lost a loved one to you brutes!"

Bato motioned for the Firebender to relax. "Sit down, Fen."

"No I will _not_ sit down! You _will _hear what I have to say!"

"No," Hakoda interrupted. "It's my turn." He looked up at the Firebender with eyes full of regret and grief. "I hadn't realized … I was so full of idealism and demonizing the Fire Nation … that I had forgotten your humanity. And that we are just as capable of atrocities as you." Hakoda ran a hand through his hair. "You and I aren't so different, Fen."

"Oh really? Well then enlighten me!"

Hakoda gave him a wry smile. "You asked why I chose to fight. Well here's the answer. I was away on a fishing trip with Bato here. There was a Fire Nation raid on my village. They were looking for the last Waterbender in the Southern Water Tribe – which turned out to be my daughter. My wife lied to them; she told them that _she _was the last Waterbender. She was subsequently burned to death. When I came back, her body wasn't even recognizable." He choked on his words.

Fen was looking at him in a completely different light now. "I … I didn't know." He stood up. "Maybe you're right, Hakoda. Maybe we aren't too different. And maybe neither of our nations is entirely free of guilt."

He offered Hakoda his hand. "On behalf of the Fire Nation, I would like to apologize for all we have done to hurt you."

Hakoda smiled, stood up, and grasped his hand. "And on behalf of the Water Tribes, I would like to apologize for all _we _have done to hurt _you_."

The two gave each other a friendly pat on the back.

That's when a fierce roar ripped across the landscape. They could hear giant footsteps in the distance.

"Uh, I think that's our cue to leave, guys," Clay said.

They quickly gathered their belongings and raced through the wilderness.

The Yokai were hot on their trail.

…

Aang was totally flabbergasted. "How is this possible? I don't understand!"

Koh slithered around the floor, a smirk playing on the lips of one of his stolen faces. _"It's all very possible, Aang. Allow me to explain. You see, I fell in love. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. But then she broke my heart. She left me for a Firebender, and I threw myself totally into my role as the Avatar – as I should have done from the start. I threw away the old teachings taught to me by the monks at the Air Temples. I mean, come on! Not killing? Not even when it was necessary? I took my role as Avatar _very_ seriously. But of course, Enma and my previous incarnations couldn't really appreciate my choice of … tactics."_

"So they sealed you away."

_"More or less. They severed me from the Avatar Spirit … removed me from the Cycle. They cursed me to live in this … body … for all eternity. Of course, they allowed me some influence in the mortal world. I was given the role to ensure that the subsequent Avatars didn't follow my mistakes! It's a duty that I take extremely seriously._

_"You see, Aang. Avatar Kuruk had fallen in love. Well, I couldn't allow a woman to interfere with his duties like it had me, so I removed the temptation from his path. Instead of being grateful, he chose to slay me._

_"But he was not the first, nor would he be the last. You are, of course, familiar with the story of Avatar Kyoshi and Chin the Conqueror. Likely she told you the story herself. What she didn't tell you is that she and Chin were previously engaged to be married. Again, another Avatar putting aside their duty for love. So, all it took was a few gentle pushes, and I easily turned Chin against her – forcing Kyoshi to choose her duty as Avatar or watch the world burn._

_"Avatar Roku was next. He had fallen in love with Ta Min, the original Blue Spirit. Well, I manipulated Fire Lord Sozin into beginning the war. I planted the idea in his head to spread the greatness of the Fire Nation to the rest of the world by the point of the sword. I had hoped that Ta Min would join with Sozin out of blind love for her nation, but it was not to be. So I was forced to cause that volcanic eruption to remove Roku so that the next Avatar could be born. I had hoped you would choose your duty over love, but alas, you were no different than your predecessors."_

"So it was you," Aang stammered. "You're the cause of all this. The war … everything."

_"More or less. So are we done with questions? Good, on to the fun part."_

"Wait! One more question. Back in Ba Sing Se, Azula told me that it was you who taught her Airbending. Why?"

_"Ah, it was one of my more genius schemes. I was trying to impress upon you the necessity of putting your duty as Avatar first. In order to do so, I needed to provide you with a worthy adversary. It was _I_ who freed the Dark Avatar Spirit and sent it to possess Azula when she was born. I was once an Airbender – thus, the only one qualified to teach her Airbending. I took her into a little place called _The Great In-Between_, where we could freely bend. I needed to provide you with a nearly impossible enemy, so that you would be forced to put your duty as Avatar first. Which of course, you failed to learn anything. So now, we move on to Plan B."_

"And what's Plan B?"

_"Well, if one Avatar is unqualified for that role … it's time he steps aside and lets someone else step in."_

"But ... the Dark Avatar Spirit is destroying the world! We don't have time for another Avatar!"

_"Ah, but I know the loophole. Have you forgotten what Enma told you the other day when he tried removing you from the Avatar Spirit? One Avatar can be locked away in the Spirit World – trade his place with a previous Avatar. Of course, it has to be done willingly. I couldn't just force an Avatar to trade places with me. That's where Katara comes in…"_

"Leave her out of this!"

_"No, I don't think I will. I'm being perfectly reasonable and unusually generous. I'll give Katara back – but you have to trade places with me. You take my place, and I become mortal again. I become an Avatar again, and I get to set right what so many previous Avatars have done wrong."_

"Never! I'll never trade places with you!"

_"Consider it wisely, Aang. This is your only chance. Think about Katara. Do what you've done since you first awoke from that iceberg - put Katara first."_

Aang looked down at the ground, never so conflicted.

…

"How much longer is he going to be in the Spirit World?" Toph was pacing restlessly around as Aang's shell of a body stayed in stasis.

"It might be a while, Toph. He usually stays in there for a good long time – just long enough to show up in the nick of time." Sokka nodded knowingly.

"Well – I think now would be a good time for him to come back!"

Sokka tilted his head. "What makes you say that?"

"Because of that!"

They looked up to see a figure on a rocky outcropping above them, preparing to fry them all through with lightning.

"Azula!"

The Princess grinned maniacally as lightning tore from her fingertips, attempting to fry the Avatar's empty body.

Sokka threw himself atop Aang's body, rolling both of them just out of the way of the attack. He could feel the superheated air as the lightning whizzed by.

Azula slid down the rocky outcropping, an air of triumph around her. "I've been looking for that monk for the past fifteen minutes! And it seems I've caught him as he entered the Spirit World. He'll be so easy to finish now that he can't even defend himself!"

Toph drew herself to her full height. "He may not be able to defend himself – but _we_ are!" Sokka and Suki flanked the blind Earthbender, drawing their weapons.

Azula tilted her head. "How cute. The little insects joining together to defend their own."

Toph's eye twitched. "Insects? I'll make you _eat_ those words, toots!"

"Try it then. We know how it'll end, but it's amusing all the same. You are like ants before a dragon – dust motes in a storm."

Toph was gritting her teeth. "Ants before a dragon, huh? Well, I suppose the reference is in order. After all, your face could easily be mistaken for one!"

Azula's fingers curled into a crackling fist. "Enough talk!" She jumped into a stance and more lightning ripped from her fingers.

…

Zuko spotted the bolt of lightning surge from further up in the mountains. "Azula…"

Ozai seemed to spot it too, as his face took on a demented grin. He disengaged from combat with Ursa, laughter bubbling up from his throat.

"My daughter … as powerful as ever."

"A fine weapon, huh Ozai?" Ursa's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"A weapon." Ozai nodded in agreement. "A very powerful weapon indeed … but a weapon is as limited as the one who wields it."

"What are you getting at?"

Ozai's grin widened. "A weapon that proves no longer useful … can be replaced."

"Replaced?"

Ozai blasted Ursa back with some fire. "All in due time … you'll see in a moment or two."

"What are you planning? What are you going to do to Azula?"

Ozai forced Ursa back, as Zuko and the rest continued battling the Phoenix King's minions. "I may be Phoenix King again … but even that is not enough for me … No longer will I be surpassed by my daughter …"

Ozai feinted, getting beneath Ursa's guard, and blasted her in the side with some incredible Firebending.

Ursa stumbled back, hurt, but not out of the fight yet. She readjusted her stance, ready for a counterattack – but Ozai didn't seem to be ready to fight.

Instead, he threw a pellet on the ground, and was enveloped in a thick, dark smoke.

When the smoke cleared, Ozai was gone.

But what had he meant? What exactly was he planning?

…

_"It wasn't exactly easy – all this. It took quite a lot of planning." _Koh was slithering around Aang, who seemed lost in thought. _"I already provided a near unbeatable foe. Now it was just a matter of causing you to leave behind everyone you cared about. Make it so that you would _want _to abandon your duties and switch places with me. I convinced you that as Avatar, you would have to give up love and happiness."_

"And you nearly succeeded," Aang admitted.

_"Indeed. I needed a way to get Katara romantically involved with one of your closest friends. But how? None of your friends would betray you like that … that's where my Plasma Thieves came in. As you saw earlier, they can assume any form. I made one of them transform itself into the likeness of Zuko. And the Fake Zuko exceeded my expectations – as did the earlier Plasma Thief I had transform into the Combustion Man."_

"I should have known …"

_"Should you have? Ah, but that doesn't matter. All that matters is what's happening right now. You have a choice – give up being the Avatar – or Katara loses her face!"_

"Can't … can't we work this out somehow?"

_"There's nothing to work out. The choice is very simple. Let me show you something, Aang. Let me show you the life that you can leave behind…"_

Koh's face disappeared into the darkness, and the cave began spinning around in circles. Aang suddenly felt extremely lightheaded, his vision was swimming. His stomach heaving.

He collapsed on the ground, the nausea overwhelming him, the world around him dematerializing.

He blacked out.

…

"Where is he?"

Zuko and co. stood in shock at the disappearance of Ozai. He had vanished as though he never existed.

"More of his trickery," Iroh acknowledged.

_CRACK!_

There was the clap of thunder, and up from the rocky outcroppings in the distance, they could see lightning being shot in all directions.

Zuko took a step forward. "Azula."

"And your friends," Iroh said. "You must go to them."

"What about you and Mom?" Zuko was watching Ursa dueling two Imperial Firebenders at once. Mai and Ty Lee were fighting side by side against five others. Ying stood off to the side, his fingers itching, analyzing his best course of attack.

"We'll be fine together. This is a battle we must fight without you. Your friends need you. They cannot defeat Azula and your father alone."

"But I can't -."

"There is no time, Zuko. This is the moment for which I've been guiding you and nurturing you throughout your exile. You must confront your sister and father again – and you will overcome them once and for all."

Zuko clasped his uncle in a hug.

An explosion rocked above them.

The two withdrew, as Zuko began scaling the rock faces.

Iroh turned to see Ying watching him, arms crossed. The two warriors marched towards each other, ready to begin their battle anew.

…

"Charge!"

Sokka rushed forward, sword drawn. Azula just stood there, waiting.

_SWISH!_

Sokka's sword swished in a circular arc, in a devastating butterfly-like attack. Azula jumped, ducked, and dove out of the way of every one of his attacks. He charged again, and Azula kicked his legs out from under him. He slammed hard onto the ground, his weapon rolling out of his open hand.

"Sokka!"

Suki edged her way into the battle, swiping her fans in an elegant attack. Azula laughed as she continued evading. "You couldn't defeat me back in those woods in the Earth Kingdom. What makes you think you stand a chance now?"

Azula blasted the Kyoshi Warrior back with a gust of air.

Now it was Toph's turn.

"Everyone get out of the way!"

The blind Earthbender lifted her arms, and a fissure appeared in the ground, threatening to swallow the Fire Princess up.

Azula responded by Airbending herself straight up into the air. She reached a high enough altitude, and then dive-bombed Toph straight into the ground.

Toph rose shakily to her feet, punching several boulders at the Princess. Azula used Earthbending to make them implode, and then unleashed a jet of flame from her open palm. Toph blocked it with a rocky barrier, but was knocked off her feet when Azula created a fissure right beneath her.

Sokka, Suki and Toph rose again and Azula merely sighed, folding her arms.

"This is pathetic. I was hoping for more of a challenge. None of you come close to my powers anymore. Now how about you just hand over the Avatar without a fuss?"

"Never," spat Toph. "We'll die first!"

"Don't tempt me. Just make this simple on yourselves. After all, there is no one that can surpass my powers."

"No, there isn't," came a voice behind her.

Azula whirled around to see …

"Father!"

Ozai stood there, arms crossed. Azula quickly prostrated herself before him. "Father! I'm doing everything you asked. The Avatar is about to be destroyed."

The Phoenix King nodded. "You have done well, Azula. You have served me faithfully. And it's time for your service to come to an end."

She looked up, her face suddenly shaken, her resolve beginning to flee. "W-what do you mean?"

"Yes, Father. What _do _you mean?"

Everyone spun around again to see Zuko ascending the rock face, grim determination etched across his features.

Ozai folded his arms. "I mean that I am about to have power beyond all reckoning!"

…

It seemed like an eternity before Aang fully came to. He groaned, and held his head as he shakily rose to his feet. He looked around, and to his surprise, he was no longer in the Spirit World.

In fact, he had no idea where he was.

He was surrounded on all sides by a white plane, as far as the eye could see. "Weird," he muttered to himself.

_"Not weird," _spoke Koh, and his voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. _"It's a little place I created to escape to when I feel … strained living in the Spirit World. It can assume the likeness of any earthly location. And likewise, here, I can assume any form I wish. It's a neat little place, don't you think? I call it, The Great In-Between."_

Aang heard the scuttling of centipede legs, and in the distance, he could see Koh slinking towards him. But something was beginning to happen. Koh's body began to twist, and distort, changing shape. His bulk shrunk; arms and legs began to sprout.

Before Aang knew what had happened, Koh had assumed the form of a human.

And not just any human. He was fully transformed into Avatar Ko-Rei, before he had been removed from the Avatar Cycle. He wore the trademark orange robes of the monks, and he had an arrow tattooed on his shaven head.

In fact, he looked quite a bit like an adult Aang.

Ko-Rei marched over to Aang. He waved his arm, and suddenly the whiteness around them began to take on shapes and colors. It was transforming, blossoming.

Aang was standing in the center of the Earth Kingdom. Dozens of citizens and patrons were listening to a man standing at a podium.

"Where are we," Aang asked. "Is this real?"

Ko-Rei shook his head. _"No. This is just a vision. The people around us can neither see nor hear us. This is the future, Aang. The future that awaits if you manage to defeat Azula. This is what will happen – and this is the life that you can choose to leave behind. Just watch."_

The man was banging the podium. "It was the Avatar who disappeared for a hundred years and left us to suffer and die!"

The people roared in agreement.

"It was the Avatar who leveled half of Ba Sing Se! He has brought nothing but destruction and war! And I say – let's get rid of him!"

The people cheered, screaming.

Ko-Rei was gloating. _"You see Aang – you won't be appreciated, celebrated for your victories. You will be reviled and hated by the world. They will turn against you – hunt you. Because they need something to blame all their problems on – and the Avatar is the most logical choice."_

Aang shrugged. "I can deal with that. I can deal with being disliked. I don't need these people, as long as I have my friends!"

_"Will you have your friends,"_ Ko-Rei asked. _"Will they be there for you? Let's see." _He snapped his fingers, and the surroundings suddenly changed.

They were at Ember Island. A beach party was being held. Sokka was riding the waves on a snowboard Katara had constructed for him out of ice. "Look at me, Suki!" He tried to shred the waves, and he even managed to balance himself out.

Suki seemed to be embarrassed, as was everyone else. "Uh, Sokka, look down."

Sokka looked down to see that he had lost his bathing suit in the ocean, leaving himself very exposed. He slipped and fell into the water, everyone (including him) laughing.

Zuko was catching some rays with Ursa and Mai, Ty Lee and Haru were walking down the beach holding hands, while Toph was laughing with Teo.

"Where am I," asked Aang.

_"Indeed. Where are you? You seem conspicuously absent. Perhaps your friends no longer have time for you. Too busy having beach parties and fun to invite you."_

"This has got to be some mistake! Where's Katara?"

_"I'll show you!"_

The surroundings changed yet again; this time, they were inside of an icy house in what appeared to be the Northern Water Tribe.

Katara was making stew in the house. The door opened, and a man entered. "I'm home, love."

It was some Water Tribe guy. He wrapped his arms around Katara's waist, and they kissed.

Aang was indignant. "Hey, wait a minute! What's going on! Katara's supposed to be with me!"

_"Was she? No, I'm afraid that she totally repudiates you now. She married a very powerful Waterbender in the Northern Tribe."_

Aang was on the verge of tears. "This is … this is impossible … she couldn't just forget about me … she couldn't"

_"She did. And look at her body!"_

Aang noticed the large bump growing on her stomach. Katara was talking to her husband. "The baby just kicked!"

The man quickly put his hand on her belly and his face lit up. "Wow! That's incredible!" He looked deep into her crystalline eyes. "Have come up with a name you liked yet?"

Katara seemed to think about it for a moment. Finally … "I think I've settled on Tenzin."

The man smiled. "Alright. Tenzin it is – if it's a boy!"

"I just know it'll be a boy."

"Yea, well with a kick that strong, it could very well be a girl!"

Aang was shaking his head. "Take me away! I can't watch it anymore!"

Ko-Rei nodded. _"We still have one more place to visit."_

Their surroundings took the form of the Southern Air Temple. Outside, sitting next to a crumbling statue of Monk Gyatso, was a monk that had definitely seen better years. He was meditating … but it seemed he was having difficulty. His clothes were ragged and torn, and there was a certain grunginess to his appearance.

"Who's that," inquired Aang.

_"That's you," _answered Ko-Rei. _"This is what becomes of you, Aang. Alone, forgotten by your friends. Heartbroken, over the rejection of the only woman you've ever loved. This is the empty future that awaits you."_

"No …" This couldn't be it for him. It couldn't end like this for him … could it?

_"And what about when you die? Will anyone come to your funeral?"_

Aang swallowed hard, tears welling in his eyes. "I don't want to find out …"

_"It hurts, doesn't it Aang? You see … no matter what you do, Aang, you will never be happy. Your future will always be one of hopeless solitude. Even if the Fire Nation is defeated, you will be alone for the rest of your life."_

"My friends," Aang began.

_"Will forget all about you," _Ko-Rei interrupted. _"All of their stories have a fairy tale ending – except for yours."_

Aang was staring ahead, his brain reeling, his heart being torn to shreds over everything he'd seen.

Ko-Rei was standing in front of him; arms held wide open as if to embrace him. _"But I … I can offer you a way out! You don't have to ever experience any of this! All you have to do is simply agree to trade places with me."_

The boy didn't respond.

_"Think about it. No more pain, no more anguish, no more worrying about your friends. I can defeat Azula for you … she's simply too powerful for you to stop. But I can end her – and the Dark Avatar Spirit – forever."_

No response.

_"What do you think, Aang? What say you?"_

…

"Power beyond all reckoning? What crazy tangent are you on?" Zuko was staring his father down, and the father stared back with equally intense eyes.

"It was something I discovered after the Avatar took away my Firebending. In order for him to do so, it was necessary that he tap into my spirit and bend it. That's when it hit me – not only can a person's bending be taken away, but the spirit within them can be bent as well."

"I don't get what you're trying to say," Zuko shouted.

"Remember what I told you when you interrogated me in my cell about your mother? I said that I had gained powers that you could only dream of. It was true. I experimented on the rats in my cell at first. It was late at night, when most of the guards had gone to sleep. Anyone who had seen the lights coming from my cell attributed to tiredness."

Azula looked at him with a hurt expression. "Father … you learned how to Energybend in your cell … and you didn't tell me?"

Ozai pretended not to hear her. "I wasn't sure if it could work again on another human. I hadn't practiced it much. I needed a new experiment – I needed Azula to practice it on me. And it worked. She was able to give me my Firebending back. If she was able to manipulate me in such a way, then my ultimate plan would come to fruition after all."

"What ultimate plan," snapped Zuko.

Azula was also curious. "Yes, Father. What ultimate plan? I … I thought that you trusted me enough … to let me in on everything!"

Ozai grinned. "Azula … I trust you implicitly."

He took a step towards her, and she instinctually took a step back.

"Azula!" The word was caught in Zuko's throat. He was rooted to the spot, watching his father advance on his sister.

Everyone knew that Azula could crush Ozai with one stroke. But why didn't she?

It was because this was years of mental programming coming out of the Princess. She was like a helpless infant, surrendering herself to her father. She couldn't have fought back against him if she wanted to.

Ozai was on her in a second, his fingers on her neckline and her forehead. She didn't even try resisting. Her life belonged completely to her father.

Red light coursed into the sky from both their forms, creating a whirlwind of color and light. Everyone had to shield their eyes from it.

When the light had cleared, Azula swayed, and collapsed to the ground at Ozai's feet. For a moment, everyone thought she was dead.

But no.

She took a deep breath.

But she wasn't getting up. Her eyes just stared straight ahead, as though she were comatose.

Ozai turned around, black light bubbling out of his eyes and mouth; pure energy was crackling from his very form.

Ozai had taken all the powers and abilities of the Dark Avatar away from Azula.

Which meant that Ozai was now the Dark Avatar.

…

"What you're suggesting to me … is the complete abandonment of everyone and everything I love."

_"Why not? You were so gung-ho to abandon them about a week ago!"_

"But that … that was before …"

_"Before what? What has really changed? Nothing! Your friends will only be there for you as long as you are useful. Once they no longer need you, they will forget all about you. All they've done is hindered the development of your powers! Face it – it's time to move on."_

Aang was shaking his head. "I don't know if I can just forsake my friends and loved ones. They've always empowered me – they haven't hindered me at all! In fact – I'm a better Avatar because of them!"

Visions swam through Aang's head of flying with all of his friends on Appa, laughing. Fighting together against pirates, against Firebenders, Dai Li – you name it! A soft smile crossed his lips.

Ko-Rei shook his head. _"Then why is it that your friends have hurt you the most?"_

"Because … because that's what friends do sometimes. They hurt you, they make you cry or rage … but they're right by your side the second things go to pieces. When all heck breaks loose, they're there. And they'll never back down. They'll never leave your side." He drew himself to his full height. "Sorry Ko-Rei … I'm going to have to say no to your offer!"

_"Aang … perhaps I haven't made myself clear enough." _He snapped his fingers, and suddenly their surroundings changed. They were back to the Great-In-Between, surrounded by white planes all around.

Above, an object came into view.

A person.

Katara.

She was suspended in midair; strands of thick goo acted as ropes, hanging her by her wrists. She appeared semi-conscious; the lids on her eyes were half-closed, and she seemed to be muttering incoherently.

Ko-Rei stalked back and forth, his eyes wild. _"I will not end this day empty-handed, Aang! I _will_ have a prize to claim! Either a restored body in the mortal world … or Katara's precious face!"_

Panic gripped Aang's heart. "Don't!"

_"Then submit! Those are your options!"_

Katara's half-open eyes seemed to fixate on Aang, and recognition crossed her features. She managed to shake her head no.

"Please don't hurt her!"

_"That depends on you."_

Aang stood there, frozen.

Unsure of what to do.

…

"Father! What have you done?"

Ozai's glowing eyes focused on his son. He opened his mouth to speak, and his voice crackled with seething, demonic energy. _**"This was something I've been planning from the beginning, Zuko. As soon as I discovered Azula was the Dark Avatar, I knew I needed that power for myself."**_

"So … so you're the Dark Avatar now?"

_**"You always were a little slow on the uptake, boy. But yes. You see, when the Avatar took away my bending during the Comet, he did something neither of us expected. He opened up my chi. He imprinted the memory of what he had done in my very being, and with some practice, I was able to bend energy. I hypothesized that if I could manipulate and bend someone's spirit, why couldn't I steal it from them and integrate it into myself? And alas – I am the Dark Avatar now!"**_

Ozai raised his hand, and a ball of pure energy appeared, imbibing into his very being. The ground began to shake, as Ozai began powering up. Energy lashed around, and gale force winds berated them all.

Sokka stood next to Zuko. "But wait," the boy cried. "You haven't been trained to bend any other element besides fire! Which makes the Dark Avatar State totally useless to you!"

_**"Silly boy," **_Ozai growled. _**"I've been watching as Pythos and Long Feng taught Azula to bend Earth and Water. I've watched and learned her moves, practicing the art myself. As for Airbending, well, I couldn't be there as Avatar Ko-Rei taught her, but I watched as she practiced drills on her own. Sure, my technique may be shoddy, but I assure you, I can bend well enough. And with the power of the Dark Avatar State, my bending will increase ten-fold. No, a hundred-fold! I will go further than anyone before me ever has. And unlike Azula, my potential is unlimited!"**_

The empty shell that was Azula just lay there, staring imperceptibly ahead.

Ozai cackled as he advanced on his son. _**"I can remember our Agni Kai so well. You were nothing but a sniveling child that needed to be taught respect. I held back in that duel, burning only your left eye. But, for your recent displays of disrespect and treachery, I feel another lesson is in order. But this time, I am not feeling so merciful."**_

Zuko clenched his fist. "Then what are you waiting for? Fight me!"

_**"I must admit … you do seem a lot braver than when we last fought. But growing a backbone will not save you from me now!"**_

With incredible speed, Ozai punched his fist in the air, and before Zuko knew what was happening a torrent of fire was racing straight for him.

KABOOM!

The fire had met an enormous, rocky barrier head on. The barrier was instantly disintegrated, but it provided an excellent protection.

Zuko turned his head to see Toph standing there, arms outstretched, moving into a mantis-like stance. Sokka and Suki joined her, ready for battle.

Zuko smiled.

His friends were with him.

They would be with him to the end.

And Ozai leapt into the air, and the final battle was joined.

…

_"I grow tired of waiting, Aang. I require a decision. NOW!"_

Aang was staring ahead, at the semi-conscious Katara. Her half-closed eyes met his, and there was a brief moment where they shared an emotional and mental connection so intimate, that it nearly drove the monk to his knees.

He could feel her love, swirling around him.

Talking to him.

She was communicating to him – not with words.

But with emotions.

She was saying, _"Let me go. I would gladly give myself up for you. Just let me go."_

Tears were flooding Aang's eyes.

_"I can't," _was his mental reply. _"As much as I know I should, I just can't."_

Ko-Rei was pacing restlessly, his narrowed eyes never leaving the monk's face.

After everything they've been through together – the crying, the pain, the laughter, the joy, the tears – everything … could he give her up?

~0~

_We've been through so many things together. And I've seen you grow up so much. You're not that goofy little kid I found in the iceberg anymore._

~0~

Through thick and thin, she's been there at his side. She would have fought tooth and nail to save him. How could he just give her up to this fate?

He wouldn't give up on her when Guru Pathik told him he had to in order to unblock his chakra.

And he certainly wasn't about to give up on her now.

Ko-Rei seemed to have lost all patience. _"Well then, if you're just going to stand there with a blank look on your face, I guess I'll just have to decide for you!"_

He made a move towards Katara, when a jolt of fire whizzed past his head. Ko-Rei stopped short, turning his head towards the monk. _"Is this wise? You really wish to challenge me?"_

"Step. Away. From. Her." Aang spoke each word with deadly emphasis.

Ko-Rei tilted his head. _"We're no longer in the Spirit World, Aang. We can bend here, cause each other pain. Unfortunately, neither of us can die here." _His hands dropped to his sides, ready. _"So what now, Aang? We fight for all eternity, until one of us gives in? Is that your plan? We don't have time for this. Right now, the Dark Avatar Spirit is taking its toll on the mortal world and the Spirit World. Both are fading out of existence."_

"Then maybe you shouldn't have brought me here," Aang snapped. "Maybe you shouldn't have taken Katara, knowing that I would follow."

Ko-Rei sighed. _"You must truly love her. I don't think I can even remember what love feels like anymore. But it's such a dreadful bond … it makes you so irrational. So vulnerable."_

"And so happy! So at peace with the world!"

_"Peace? Is that what love has brought you? Love hasn't done anything for you! It's made you its puppet. It is your master, not the other way around. And as for me … well, I decided not to be at the mercy of anything ever again!"_

"Enough. I'm done talking. I'm taking Katara out of this awful place – and I'll go through you if I have to!"

_"You really want to do this, don't you?"_

"You've made this extremely personal. Not just for taking Katara – but because of everything you've done. You've hurt so many people. All for your horrific vision of 'order'."

Ko-Rei slid into a ready stance. _"Very well. If threatening your little girlfriend couldn't force you to submit … then perhaps _pain _will!"_

And Aang and Ko-Rei blasted intense, gale force winds at each other.

The opening salvo of the first duel of its kind.

The battle between the Last Airbenders.

…

BOOM!

Zuko rolled out of the way as a rocky outcropping disintegrated above him. Ozai was cackling, as more energy gathered around him.

BOOM!

Lightning tore through the air, superheating it. Zuko caught the bolt in his own fingers, attempting to redirect it. He inhaled, allowing it to flow into his stomach – his "sea of chi" as Iroh was fond of calling it.

Ozai wasn't about to give him the chance. The Phoenix King was on him instantly, glowing eyes only centimeters from his own. His fist connected with Zuko's gut, and the boy collapsed, gasping for breath.

KABOOM!

The lightning that Zuko had been trying to redirect suddenly exploded, sending Zuko flying back, slamming into more rocks. Smoke poured out of his body.

Sokka, Suki and Toph ran to his aide, Sokka helping him to his feet.

"Well, I sure hope someone has a plan," Toph commented.

Everyone looked expectantly at Sokka. "What? Why does everyone always look at me when we need a plan?"

"Because you're the 'Plan Guy"," Toph retorted.

A few yards away, Ozai began walking towards them, grinning. _**"That's okay. Make plans – I don't mind! It'll fail, but at least it'll make things more interesting!"**_

Sokka looked over to see Aang's soulless body lying on the ground.

"We need Aang," he said. "He's the only one who can bend the Dark Avatar Spirit into the netherworld."

"But Aang's busy in the Spirit World," Suki protested.

"We need to buy him time to do whatever he needs to do!"

"Buy time," Zuko said slowly. He clenched his fist. "It's a long shot. We won't be able to hold my father off forever – not when he's drawing power from the Dark Avatar State."

Ozai's advance was quickening.

Sokka gulped. "Hurry up, Aang!"

…

Aang spun in the air, as gusts of wind howled all around him. He landed, spinning his staff, deflecting jets of fire which emanated from Ko-Rei's hands.

The two jumped in the air, clashing, thrashing, punching, kicking, bending. They landed, circled, and engaged each other in their dance of death.

Ko-Rei began rotating his hands, and suddenly a spinning column of air appeared between them, spiraling faster and faster. Ko-Rei pushed it forward, and the raging tornado tore its way for the Avatar.

Aang raised a shield of compressed air about himself, halting the tornado's progress, disintegrating it.

Aang responded by blasting Ko-Rei back with more fire; Ko-Rei countered by snuffing it out with air.

_"You know, I really don't see the point of all this, Aang. What are you hoping to accomplish? Neither of us can die here!"_

"No, we can't. But that doesn't mean I'm going to let you hurt Katara!"

_"I can't believe you would risk so much just for her!"_

"You have no idea…"

_"You're not risking just yourself! You're risking the fate of the entire world!"_

"_You're _the one holding us here! Let her go, and I'll return to the mortal world and defeat the Dark Avatar! Your call!"

Ko-Rei bared his teeth. _"No! Not when my plans are so close to being fulfilled!"_

"Then we fight on!"

Aang charged, using Airbending to speed him up. Ko-Rei deflected his incoming attack, spinning around, catching Aang in the gut. Aang recovered quickly with Firebending, putting his foe on the defensive, forcing him to commit.

The battle of eternity raged on.

…

Zuko stood as a buffer in front of his father. The two unleashed spectacular displays of Firebending. Columns of twisting fire spun high into the sky, creating a dazzling fireworks display.

Ozai sped himself up, using fire on his heels to propel him forward. He rapid-fire shot balls of flame from his palm.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Zuko crouched and leaped, rolling out of the way of the series of attacks.

"YAAARGGHHH!"

With a raging battle cry, Sokka and Suki charged forward, sword and fans together. With supernatural speed, Ozai dodged each of their attacks. He caused a superheated wave of air to explode from his core, sending both warriors back.

Toph stepped up to the bat. She punched a series of boulders at her enemy, before creating a giant crack beneath his feet.

Ozai leaped into the air, jumping high over Toph's attacks. He landed, bringing his fist straight into the heart of the ground. The earth quaked, and fire erupted from fissures and cracks all around them.

He sped himself up, slamming Toph into the ground with a rocky wall.

He sighed, bored. _**"Pathetic," **_he muttered. _**"So much for the Avatar's friends."**_

Toph, Zuko, Sokka and Suki stood up again, battered, weakened – helpless before their invincible foe.

…

"Wake up. Wake up!"

A voice inside of her head.

The voice of a little girl.

But that was preposterous! Where could it have been coming from?

"Wake up! He's hurting all of my friends! Please, help them!"

Friends? Help?

What was going on?

Azula's vision swam back into focus. A bright eyed child was standing there, tugging at her sleeve.

Malu.

"What do you want," she snapped.

"My friends! Help them!"

In the distance, on the rocky ledges and outcroppings of what was left of the temple, her father was battling the Avatar's friends.

Her father – in the Dark Avatar State!

Now she remembered! He had taken the Dark Avatar Spirit from her – bent her energy!

But why? Didn't he trust her?

Or was he planning this all along … while she was nothing more than a tool?

"Why would I want to help your friends," she snapped.

Malu looked at her defiantly. "You want to help them! You're not as big a meanie as you think you are! You aren't a monster!"

"Says who," she thundered. "My mother and family think I'm a monster!"

"Not your mommy! Not your brother! Your daddy is the true monster! Your daddy took away your powers and left you to die!"

"No! Surely he didn't … he wouldn't …"

She got up, shoving Malu out of the way. She would have to investigate this further – and find out what exactly was going on.

…

Zuko stood his ground as Ozai continued his advance.

That was when he saw it – someone was crawling along the rocks above.

Azula.

Returning like a dog to the feet of its master.

He needed to show Azula what Ozai really was – how he _really _felt about her.

And perhaps buy Aang more time.

"You were planning on taking the Dark Avatar Spirit from Azula this whole time, weren't you father?"

Ozai grinned as he continued walking towards them. _**"From the beginning. I'm surprised she didn't see this coming – but then again, she was always too trusting of me. Remarkable isn't it – how paranoid she became over her friends, yet she never doubted me."**_

"Mai and Ty Lee cared about her. As do and I and Mother! But you - … was there ever a time you truly cared for her – for _us_?"

_**"Zuko, of course. I loved my children. But then every family tree needs to be pruned. The bad seeds have to be removed. I rid your taint from this family by banishing you … allowing Azula her chance to shine. But of course, she had powers I desired, and when she was no longer useful, I took them for my own."**_

"And what if she's not too happy about that?"

_**"What can she do? She's no match for me. But if she does get a little … too spunky for her own good, then she'll be put down. Like you."**_

"So you would kill her?"

Ozai smiled. _**"Just. Like. That. Now are we done talking? Good. On to the killing!"**_

From the nearby rocky ledge, Azula sat down, devastated.

She buried her head in her knees, and did something she hadn't done since she was a small child.

Azula began to cry.

…

_"Wake up, Waterbender. Wake up."_

Katara's half-dozed eyes opened ever so slightly. What exactly was happening again?

There was … a battle?

Aang was fighting with … somebody?

Right?

_"Wake up."_

That voice again. Where was it coming from?

Below, Aang was thrown back by an attack by another Airbender.

Another Airbender? What exactly was going on again?

_"You must wake up. We can help each other."_

She opened her mouth to speak, and found that it was quite dry. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. "H-hello? Who's there?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she could make out several shapes.

People.

And several animals mixed in.

Her eyes focused, and crowd of people began to take on shape. Lines, contrast, colors. She squinted so that she could see them more sharply.

She let out a tiny gasp.

Not one of them had faces.

The lead one, what appeared to be a young woman in Water Tribe clothing, stepped forward.

_"We can help you."_

"What's going on? Who are you? And how come you … you can speak …?"

_"How can we speak without lips? We aren't physically speaking. Think of this more as … telepathy."_

"I don't understand."

_"Just chalk it up as some Spirit thing."_

"Who are you people?"

_"Full of questions, aren't you. There isn't much time. But I suppose we can indulge. You see, we are all … victims of Koh. Doomed to wander the Spirit World for eternity. You see, those killed by spirits cannot rest in peace – nor can we reincarnate. But we can help you. Save you from joining us."_

Several of the faceless spirits floated up into the air to meet Katara. At their gentle, warm touch, the goo suspending her in midair seemed to hiss and shrink away.

Katara plopped back down the ground. At least, she _thought _it was the ground. Who could tell in this freaky place?

"Thanks," she muttered, rubbing her sore wrists. In the distance, she could see Aang locked in combat with Ko-Rei. "What now?"

_"Koh knew that the bridge between the Spirit World and the Mortal World was dissolving. But he never intended for his victims to return. Now it's our turn. We will have our vengeance."_

"What will you do?"

_"Koh must face justice for his crimes. Don't worry – we won't do anything to _permanently _damage him. We will just hold him long enough for you to escape and for Enma and the other Avatars to arrive to sentence him."_

"Enma and the other Avatars?"

_"For a long time, they were ignorant of this place. And only Koh could access it. But throughout this entire affair, the holes in the Spirit World have grown, blurring the planes of existence between the mortal world and the Spirit World – and the Great In-Between. They will be here soon enough. But enough questions."_

Katara watched as the hordes of faceless spirits flew past her, ghostlike, storming straight towards the oblivious Ko-Rei.

…

Two jets of fire collided straight from the hands of Aang and Ko-Rei, each trying to gain the advantage over the other. A bead of sweat rolled down Aang's face; his eye twitched as he struggled to gain the advantage.

An advantage that was slipping away with each passing second.

_"Give it up, boy! You'll never be a match for me! I am the Avatar! The ULTIMATE AVATAR! You're nothing before me!"_

Aang staggered back, his footing slipping.

He could almost hear the voice of Monk Gyatso in his hears.

"Don't give up," it was saying.

Aang refocused his attack, and more fire ejected from his palm.

Ko-Rei hissed, surprised that the boy still had this much energy. Ko-Rei would just have to output some more.

But there was a problem.

Something seemed to have grabbed a hold of his arm.

_"What the -?"_

Aang spared a glance at his opponent, to see that their beams of fire had broken, and dozens of faceless spirits were swarming him.

Ko-Rei was screaming as he struggled to bat several spirits away. _"Get off of me! Get away!"_

There was a blast of fire, and several spirits went flying away.

More took their place, swarming the former-Avatar-turned-Face-Stealer. Ko-Rei was seething, struggling, screaming.

"Aang!"

Aang whirled around to see Katara running after him. Relief spread throughout his body, warming him right down to his toes. "Katara! But how?"

"There's no time to explain!"

Another faceless spirit appeared. With a wave of his hand, a swirling hole appeared right in the center of the Great-In-Between. Aang could see the Spirit World through the hole and realized – it was a portal!

A portal back to the Spirit World!

And from there, back to the mortal world.

Katara grabbed his wrist. "Come on!" They sprinted right towards the now opened portal.

The faceless spirit was grunting. _"Hurry. I can only keep it open for so long!"_

Ko-Rei's body was literally covered with spirits – his victims. But he could still see the portal ahead – and Aang and Katara running straight for it. _"NOOO!" _He stretched his arm forth, trying to drag himself towards it.

The spirits were too many for him to break free. _"Let go of me! Let go of me right now or I swear your faces won't be the only things I take!"_

The faceless female that had talked to Katara earlier appeared. Her blank head was directed straight at him. _"No, Koh. Your reign of terror is over – forever!"_

_"Curse you, Ummi!"_

_"It's over, Koh. And as for us … justice will be served. And I … I can finally be with my beloved Kuruk for all eternity."_

_"I HATE ALL OF YOU!" _Ko-Rei was screeching, as the spirits dragged him into the depths of eternity – to face justice from Enma and the other Avatar Spirits.

The last thing he saw was Katara and Aang jumping through the hole into the Spirit World, and the portal closing behind them.

His screaming seemed to continue forever.

…

"There's nowhere to go!"

Hakoda, Bato, Fen, Ryu and Clay stood at the edge of the forests. Before them was the giant mountain range, which would lead to the Northern Air Temple.

"Nowhere to go except _up_," Hakoda corrected.

"Look," Fen complained. "I'm a soldier, not a mountain climber."

"Well, none of us are particularly skilled at it either," commented Bato. "Except maybe Ryu and Clay."

Ryu, however, had turned ashen white after looking over his shoulder. "Guys … I don't think we'll have to worry about climbing up those mountains."

Everyone turned around and literally felt their knees start knocking.

Four Yokai had appeared at the edge of the forests. The giant spirit monsters spread out, blocking any chance of escape.

They were trapped!

…

Zuko's defense was superb, knocking aside fireball after fireball that his father sent his way.

But superb or no – a defense was only just a defense.

Ozai was quickly wearing it down.

And then … ah, the opportune moment. Ozai leaped into the air. Flames erupted from his knuckles, and driving Zuko back. He staggered over to the edge of a rocky ravine, nearly going over entirely.

Ozai merely pointed his finger, and a small burst of wind caused Zuko to topple over the edge.

But Zuko's reflexes were fast. His hand lashed out, grabbing the edge, dangling literally hundreds of feet from oblivion.

Sokka regrouped with Toph and Suki. "His Firebending is incredible … but his bending with the other elements isn't as great as he'd like to think it is. He may know the forms and techniques, but he hasn't had enough practice with them like Aang and Azula. That may be our advantage."

Toph nodded. "I'm on it!"

Toph covered her body in rocky armor and charged the Phoenix King. Ozai didn't even look at her – he merely erected a rocky barrier which Toph slammed full speed into. The force of the crash caused her armor to shatter and fall off. She staggered, dazed.

Ozai lazily strode over the edge of the ravine and grabbed Zuko's wrist with one hand, pulling him up over the edge. For a brief moment, Zuko believed his father was saving his life – but no. It was only so that he might suffer some more.

Ozai tossed Zuko into a rocky outcropping, and then ignited it, turning it into a barbeque.

Zuko managed to lower the heat enough for him to scamper out of danger.

Father and son stared at each other.

_**"Why do you insist on continuing this pointless battle? Haven't you realized you'll never defeat me?"**_

Zuko was panting. "Haven't you realized … we'll never give up …?"

Toph, Sokka and Suki, though battered and bruised, stood next to him. "That's right," Toph yelled. "We've been through thick and thin, and we're not about to give up now! Team Avatar is going to see this through to the end!"

_**"Very well! It will be the end! For all of you! And I think I'll pick you off one by one … starting with … YOU!"**_

Zuko was blasted back with Airbending, hitting a rocky wall. Ozai made some motions with his fingers, and the next thing Zuko knew, his wrists and feet were bound to the wall.

"Toph!" Zuko's plea for help tore into her skull. "Help me!"

"I'm on it!" She began trying to bend Zuko free from his rocky restraints.

Ozai was chuckling. _**"Uh-uh-uh, I don't think so, my little Earthbender!" **_Before Toph knew what had happened, Ozai pulled water out of thin air, dousing her, and freezing her instantly into place.

"Now _I'm _stuck," she screamed.

Sokka charged towards Ozai, but was deflected with barely a brush.

Suki was disarmed next, and she hit the ground hard.

Ozai's face then turned to his trapped son. _**"Before I kill you, I just wanted to say that you brought this all on yourself. You could have been heir to the throne – but instead you chose to throw your lot in with this group. So goodbye and good riddance!"**_

Ozai began gathering chi for an incredible lightning strike. The amount of energy he put into it would make it impossible for anyone to redirect it, no matter how skilled. His hand began to shake and pulsate from the amount of raw energy; he had to hold it steady with his other hand.

The Phoenix King pointed his fingers directly at Zuko's heart and fired with everything he had.

…

It seemed to happen in slow-motion.

Everyone watched in horror as the most powerful bolt of lightning they had ever seen streaked from Ozai's fingers – straight for Zuko's heart.

They could hear the sizzling of the bolt as it tore through the air – hear the clap of thunder ripping through their eardrums.

There was no hope. None of them could get to Zuko in time.

"I can't look!" Suki buried her face in Sokka's shirt, staining it with her tears. Sokka grimly looked away, eyes closed, mouth pursed.

Zuko braced himself for the incoming attack. He no longer tried evading death – he accepted it as inevitable. It was coming for him on swift wings – this was it. He was going to die as surely as the sun would rise the next morning.

He closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable.

~0~

_Zuko! No! You must never give in to despair!_

~0~

_In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself._

_That is the meaning of inner strength…_

~0~

Zuko began trying to pull himself free of his trappings.

The lightning was edging closer. There was no time!

ZAAAA_AAAAPPPP!_

Zuko winced, expecting to be deep-fried. But the blow never came. He dared open one eye to see a smoking body lying on the ground at his feet.

A smoking body in Fire Nation clothing … and long hair … and a feminine body.

"Oh no…"

…

_One minute earlier…_

Azula had been watching the entire fight taking place below. She saw Toph get frozen in place, saw Sokka and Suki go down with relative ease.

Then she saw Ozai gathering enough chi to blow up an entire city – and aim it at Zuko. The moment she had desired for her entire life was here … she was about to become an only child.

And yet …

It seemed so hollow, so empty.

Her brother had been in her life for so long – outdoing him had become part of her life.

A life she couldn't imagine without him in it.

She looked down to see Malu squatting next to her. The little girl was frightened and crying as she watched with dread.

And without thinking, acting on pure instinct, Azula made her move.

…

Iroh and Ying circled each other, while Ursa battled several Imperial Firebenders.

Ying shot a blast at Iroh, which the old man deflected with his bare hands. They continued circling, Ying blasting him with fire, Iroh deflecting.

"Just give it up," Ying growled. "The Fire Nation will win this war and exterminate every last one of you rebels. But if you surrender, perhaps I can ask the Phoenix King to be lenient."

Iroh almost laughed. "My brother is not the understanding type. Nor is he lenient. No, surrender is a death sentence. It matters very little whether I die at your hand – or in a public execution."

"That can be arranged!"

Ying charged, full blast. Iroh dodged out of the way, spinning in a fiery riposte. Their flames clashed, overriding each other, canceling out.

Ying counted with a beam of fire, which Iroh countered by erecting a blazing wall.

Ying charged again, driving Iroh back. Not to be outdone, Iroh opened his mouth, showing Ying why he was called the "Dragon of the West." White hot flames scorched out of his mouth, pushing Ying all the way to a rocky ledge. Ying lost his footing and slipped, going over the edge.

Iroh was there instantly, gripping Ying's wrist, preventing him from falling. Focusing all of his might, Iroh pulled Ying up to safety. Then, with a quick, crippling move, Iroh knocked Ying out cold, placing his unconscious body safely aside.

He looked up to see that Ursa had mopped up the last of the Firebenders. The two nodded to each other – they had to find Ozai and finish this war once and for all!

…

Ozai lowered his hand in shock. Surely he must have been imagining things. There was no possible, logical way that Azula would throw herself in front of the attack, saving her brother's life. He rubbed his eyes, thinking that he was just hallucinating.

But no – Azula's body lay limply at Zuko's feet. It twitched repeatedly, the electricity still coursing through her body. Her muscles spasmed; she laid there, her consciousness quickly fading.

"NOOO!"

Zuko didn't understand the amount of rage he felt. Hadn't it been he that suggested to the Avatar that killing Azula was necessary? So then why all the rage?

His body temperature increased a hundredfold, and pure fire burst out of his body, breaking him free of his restraints. He was on his feet. And his eyes were full of flame as he drew himself to his full height.

He used Firebending to melt the icy prison that Toph had been trapped in, before advancing on his father.

"You … you!"

Ozai seemed a bit startled, and he instinctively took a step away from his advancing son.

Zuko suddenly began gathering energy, and to Ozai's complete surprise, the boy separated both his positive and negative chi. He took a deep breath, driving all of his rage and anger away, clearing his mind.

For the first time ever, his mind was fully cleared – calm, passive.

Energy crawled up Zuko's arms.

Ozai merely stood there, amused. The boy had failed to conjure lightning countless times before. Why should it be any different this time?

But Zuko was just getting started.

~0~

_Lightning is a pure expression of Firebending without aggression. It is not fueled by rage or emotion the way other Firebending is. Some call lightning the cold-blooded fire. It is precise and deadly like Azula. To perform the technique requires peace of mind._

~0~

Glowing energy appeared at Zuko's fingertips. The former Prince waved his arm, gathering even more chi, until it reached critical mass.

Then, ever so calmly, Zuko took aim at his father.

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_**ZAAAAAAAPPPP!**_

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Ozai used Firebending to propel himself out of the way; Zuko's attack had missed him by a fraction of an inch. Ozai could feel the electrical currents in the air, and it made his hair stand on end.

Even though he was encompassed by the infinite power of the Dark Avatar State, the Phoenix King couldn't help but feel a little bit scared.

He stared at his son with amazement, incredulity.

For the first time ever, his son had managed to produce lightning.

…

"Ozai!"

The yell rang throughout the entire mountainous ridges. Everyone looked up to see … Aang and Katara, in all their glory, the light of the moon illuminating them.

Aang slid down the ridge, Katara in tow, and he entered the battlefield.

Sokka and Suki were battle-worn, Toph was barely able to stand, while Zuko had just unleashed a dazzling lightning display.

But nearby, there was a body, and Aang realized it was Azula's. She struggling to hold on to the final ebbs of life within her.

And there was Ozai, who Aang realized was being fueled by the Dark Avatar State. Which meant that Ozai was now somehow the Dark Avatar.

Things just got more complicated.

"Alright guys, you've done enough. Now let me take over from here!"

_**"Ah, so the little Airbender thinks he can take me all by himself. You couldn't even stop Azula when she was the Dark Avatar – what makes you think you have a chance now?"**_

"Try me, Ozai!"

_**"With pleasure!"**_

Ozai and Aang flew high into the air like birds. They charged, fighting in midair.

The force of their titanic battle caused the ground around them to shake and lightning to slice down from the sky.

Zuko, meanwhile, had his attention focused on the Waterbender. "Katara!" He motioned for her to come over. He kneeled down next to the dying Azula. "I need you to use your Spirit Water! Hurry!"

Katara was taken aback. "On Azula?"

"No time to explain, just do it!"

Opening her satchel, Katara began pouring Spirit Water on Azula's weakening form.

…

Aang sped through the air, Ozai giving fierce chase. The Phoenix King pointed his fingers, firing lightning indiscriminately.

Aang spiraled in the air, the wings of his glider giving him the appearance of a large bird.

He landed on a rocky outcropping. Ozai was coming fast. Tossing his glider aside, Aang erected an air barrier.

Ozai tore through it like tissue, ramming straight in Aang's gut with his knee. He grabbed Aang by the collar, and tossed him over the side of the outcropping – to a ravine below.

Aang used Airbending to propel himself up, away from a horrible death.

Ozai was on him again, gripping him in a bear hug. He nosedived down, slamming Aang hard into another rocky wall about a hundred feet below.

Aang sputtered, coughing up blood. His clothes were torn, and he was bruised. This was Sozin's Comet all over again.

Ozai grabbed him by the throat, slamming him into the side of the rocky wall. His fingers constricted, attempting to snuff the life out of the boy. With his free hand, he fashioned a blade made of pure fire. He raised the superheated blade, so that it was only centimeter's from Aang's left eye.

Aang could feel the heat radiating off of it, burning the outer lens of his eye – burning deep into his cornea.

_**"Another pathetic battle." **_He shrugged. _**"And so it ends." **_He cocked back the flame-sword, preparing to deliver the final death blow.

_**"YEEAARRGGHH!"**_

Ozai let out a horrible scream, and Aang dared to look behind him to see Ursa burying her twin swords into his shoulder blades. The Phoenix King dropped Aang, and attempted to attack his wife.

Ursa pulled the swords from Ozai's back, spinning them in defense, batting away Ozai's rapid fire attacks.

"Now Aang!" Her voice was hoarse, but it carried above the sounds of destruction and Ozai's rage. "Now! DO IT NOW!"

Ozai stopped short as he realized his feet were encased in solid rock. Aang was coming at him fast, and Ozai roared. _**"Not this time, Avatar! NOT THIS TIME!"**_

He swatted Aang away with a jet of fire, before he broke free of the bindings. Ursa was at it again, attacking with her broadswords. Ozai dodged the attacks easily. Ursa raised her weapon, before her wrist was caught by her husband. White-hot pain erupted around her wrist as Ozai began char-broiling it. She dropped her sword.

_**"Ursa … Do I have to teach you to respect your husband the way I taught Zuko?"**_

She spat in his face.

Ozai chortled.

_**"I guess you'll need double the punishment!"**_

With his free hand, he placed his palm above her right eye, preparing to fry it like he had done Zuko's only a few short years ago.

Ursa closed her eyes, preparing for the attack.

But the problem was, something was holding Ozai's arm back.

…

"Step away from my sister-in-law," Iroh said in a deadly voice, before kicking Ozai straight into a nearby outcropping.

Ozai recovered, only to be blasted back with more Firebending from Iroh.

_**"Darn you, Brother! Is everyone in this blasted family a traitor?"**_

"No," Iroh replied sadly. "Only one."

Now Aang understood why Iroh was so greatly reverenced among the Fire Nation elite. He had never seen Firebending that powerful, that elegant before. He was fighting toe-to-toe with Ozai – even in the Dark State!

Ozai spun around, narrowly missing Iroh's attack. Iroh opened his mouth, and a jet of fire spiraled out, hitting the Phoenix King straight in the gut.

Ozai staggered to his feet – but Iroh wasn't about to give him the chance to recover. He charged full blast, with even more fire. Ozai struggled to defend himself, and was forced to his knees.

Aang took this as his golden opportunity.

He bound Ozai's feet and wrists to the ground. Iroh stood there, arms outstretched, in case Ozai burst free. Ursa, still nursing her burned wrist, staggered over to them.

Ozai struggled in his bindings, finding himself of no avail. Each time he started wearing away at them, Aang only reinforced them.

_**"No! This can't be happening! Not again!"**_

Iroh nodded. "I'm afraid it is, Brother. And this time, there will be no more of your machinations!" He nodded to Aang. "Finish this, my boy. Bring balance back once and for all."

_**"No! You can't do this to me!"**_

Aang placed his fingers on Ozai's forehead and neckline, and suddenly, the Phoenix King stopped struggling.

Blue light shot out of Aang's body, and red shot forth from Ozai's. The two beams of light coalesced into the sky, creating a reddish hue throughout. Those who saw it swore that it was daytime.

Reddish energy crawled up Aang's body, threatening him. The Dark Avatar Spirit was struggling, refusing to be sealed back again. It crawled up, consuming Aang's body.

Only Aang's eye remained.

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Slowly, ever so slowly, Aang's energy began crawling down his body, overpowering the Dark Avatar Spirit.

Ozai's body was consumed with Aang's light.

Almost there.

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Ying jumped out of nowhere, grabbed Aang, and broke the connection!

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The light disappeared, and Ozai roared forth triumphantly.

Aang was on all fours, panting, exhausted. His last hope for victory … gone.

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. Ozai stared at his hands, beaming, relief spread across his face. _**"That was a close call … you gave me quite a scare. But thanks to Ying here – gak!"**_

A dagger protruded from Ozai's stomach and he sunk to his knees. Ying twisted the dagger further into the Phoenix King's stomach.

_**"But … but … why?"**_

"Because the Avatar was about to seal the Dark Avatar State away forever. I cannot allow that. The Dark Avatar Spirit must move on – to a new host." Ying looked genuinely sorry. "Forgive me, my lord. But you must die rather than have the Fire Nation lose the Dark Avatar Spirit forever."

Ozai grit his teeth. _**"Curse … you …"**_

"I'm very sorry. But eventually a new Dark Avatar will be born … the cycle will continue … the Fire Nation will have another chance of victory."

Ozai clasped Ying's wrist, a look of pure hatred on his face. Then the Phoenix King looked up to the heavens, let out a horrible cry, before falling over. His limp arm hit the ground cold.

Ozai was dead.

There was a horrible shrieking sound, as the Dark Avatar Spirit departed from his body, and disappeared into the night.

It was over … for now.

…

And Ying was quickly captured by Aang, Iroh and Ursa.

Aang was enraged. "Don't you realize what you've done? I could have gotten rid of the Dark Avatar Spirit for good! Now you just perpetuated it!"

Ying smiled. "I will take whatever punishment you wish. But the Dark Avatar will rise again – succeed where Azula and Ozai failed."

Iroh clasped Aang on the shoulder. "But all is not lost, my young Avatar. As long as the Dark Avatar had mastered the Dark Avatar State, it put the world out of balance – threatened to destroy it. Now that the Dark Avatar seeks a new host, balance has been restored … temporarily."

"So … what you're saying is …?"

Iroh nodded. "There will be peace and balance now … at least until the next Dark Avatar surfaces. How long that may take, we may never know … if it even surfaces at all."

"Then I must be vigilant …"

"As all Avatars must. But regardless … you have saved the world today …"

Aang stood up, as he watched the sunrise. The Dark Avatar Spirit was no longer incarnate … for now.

The imbalance Azula had caused was already beginning to undo itself.

The holes between worlds were being bridged once again.

Aang smiled as the warm rays of sunshine ascended into the sky.

"We made it through the night …"

…

Hakoda, Bato, Fen, Ryu and Clay watched as the Yokai descended upon them. The monsters raised their claws, ready for the kill.

And suddenly, all four Spirit Monsters vanished into thin air.

The humans sat there, stunned, shocked.

Then they looked at each other, and overcome with relief, they all burst into tears in each other's arms.

…

~0~

_The true mind can weather all the lies and illusions without being lost. The true heart can touch the poison of hatred without being harmed. Since beginningless time, darkness thrives in the void, but always yields to purifying light._

~0~

…

It was over.

But at what cost?

…

"The damage to her internal organs is too extensive! She isn't responding to any of my Spirit Water!"

"Keep trying! Darn it, just keep trying!"

Zuko and Katara crowded around the mortally wounded Azula. Mai and Ty Lee had just arrived. Mai's eyes were closed, and she was looking away, while Ty Lee was struggling to hold her tears in.

Azula's eyes were barely open, but she was able to motion with her hand. Zuko understood, and clasped his hand within his sisters.

"Zu … Zu…" She coughed.

"I'm here, Zula."

"I'm … I'm sorry …"

"Why did you save me?"

"I … I don't … I don't know … I just … couldn't let … him kill you …"

"Hang in there, Azula!"

She shook her head. "I can't … I'm slipping!"

"Don't give up!"

Azula gripped his hand for emphasis. "No Zuzu … don't _you_ give up. You will be Fire Lord … bring honor … and glory back … to the Fire Nation!"

"No! I want you there with me! I want you to see what the Fire Nation can be without violence!"

"I can imagine it … and that's good enough … for me." A tiny smile was playing on her lips. "Mother was … right about … me. She believed in me … until the end … At least … at least … I don't have to die … as a monster…"

"You never were a monster, Azula. You were just misguided."

"No. I knew … I knew what I was doing … was wrong … all it took … was a little girl … to be my conscience …"

Zuko cocked his head. "Little girl."

The smile grew bigger on Azula's face as she mouthed the name. "Malu … Tell Mother … I had to do this … tell Mother … I'm sorry …"

And Azula closed her eyes … and breathed her last.

There was silence for the next few seconds. Silence, except for the cold wind that blew over them.

Zuko stood up, wiping the tears from his eyes.

Katara couldn't contain them either. Sokka, Suki and Toph stood nearby, watching sadly.

Even though his sister was gone, Zuko couldn't help but smile. The evil that had for so long controlled his sister was gone. Now she would be able to rest in peace – not as a monster, but as a human being.

The whole group stood there, sharing their grief over the passing of their terrible enemy that had saved them in the end.

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"The war is over … a new era of peace can finally begin."

Iroh stood on the damaged balcony of the Fire Nation palace, in what was left of the capital city. Zuko stood beside him.

It had been only three days since the war's end. Zuko felt like it had been a lifetime.

"So much has happened to me over this past year," he said thoughtfully.

Iroh clapped him on the shoulder. "You should be proud, Fire Lord Zuko. You have grown so much from the impatient, fiery young man I knew only a year ago. You are more patient, calm … at peace."

Zuko nodded and repeated the word. "Peace."

"You have washed away the stains left by our family. You started out seeking to restore your honor – but instead, you have restored the honor of our entire family. You helped the Avatar bring balance to the world. The world can never repay you for what you have done … and what you have lost."

The young Fire Lord's eyes watered.

"It's almost time for the ceremony, Uncle."

Iroh nodded, and there was a look of sadness around his usually jovial face. "Then lead on, Fire Lord."

…

Throngs of people were assembled in a Fire Nation courtyard. Near the front, were Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Mai and Ty Lee. They were dressed in clothes of the finest linens, looking very spiffy. And solemn.

Zuko and Iroh rushed to a ceremonial podium near the front of the crowd. Zuko sat himself on his throne, and was joined by Mai and Ursa. "Am I late," he asked.

"Almost," Ursa replied. "Don't worry, we wouldn't have started without you." She smiled, as she saw Mai squeezing her son's hand affectionately.

Several Fire Sages acted as pallbearers, carrying a closed casket that bore the remains of Azula, the Fire Nation Princess. They carefully lowered the casket in the center of the courtyard.

"We are here to remember and honor our fallen Princess, Azula – daughter of Fire Lord Ozai and Lady Ursa, sister of Fire Lord Zuko." Zuko could barely listen as the Fire Sage – Shyu, he noted – was giving his funeral speech.

His mind was too much on Azula, and what it cost her to ultimately show the final shred of humanity that was left deep within the recesses of her heart.

He had doubted her, didn't believe that it was there. He had thought that Ozai had snuffed the last bit of her humanity clean out of her.

But it was there, beneath all of his sister's rage and hate.

As the funeral commenced, Zuko couldn't help but wonder if there was something he could have said or done differently or sooner to help his sister. He would always wonder.

But he would never forget her final act of redemption for as long as he lived. He watched as the casket was alit on fire, burning the dark memories away – purifying the evil that had for so long controlled her; its power over his sister was broken.

That redemption rose now, like the smoke that rose from his sister's final resting place.

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_"Leaves from the vine, falling so slow …"_

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Zuko stood on his balcony that night, watching the stars rise, lamenting everything he had lost – remembering everything he had gained.

Ursa stood behind him, watching him. Mai joined her, and they gave each other a warm smile of mutual acceptance.

Zuko seemed to notice them standing there, and he returned the smile in kind.

Iroh bounced his way in, lighting up the entire room with his beaming face.

They all embraced in a group hug, a happy family once again.

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_Like fragile, tiny shells, drifting in the foam…_

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Toph stood on a ridge, overlooking her old home in Gao Ling. Standing behind her were Katara, Sokka, Suki and Aang.

Toph looked at them, unsure.

Aang nodded reassuringly, and Toph suddenly broke down into tears, hugging all of her friends.

Aang handed her his bison whistle, winking at her, telling her that whenever she felt lonely and miserable, to blow it, and he and Appa will come running.

After more hugs, Toph straightened herself up, and headed downhill towards her home.

Mr. and Mrs. Bei Fong threw open the door and smothered their daughter with hugs and kisses, relieved that she was home safe and sound.

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_Little Soldier Boy, come marching home…_

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Iroh stood in his tea shop in Ba Sing Se, putting up flowers and other decorations. Jin, now his assistant, was helping him put up flowerpots and pictures.

Iroh opened up a box, pulling out a picture frame. He hesitated, before putting the picture up on the wall.

It was a picture of Lu Ten.

Jin placed her hand on his shoulder, and Iroh patted it. He smiled at the picture, before humming to himself, preparing to start the first batch of tea in the newly refurbished Jasmine Dragon.

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_Brave Soldier Boy, come marching home …_

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A crowd was forming on the shores of the Southern Water Tribe, as Appa landed, depositing Aang, Katara, Sokka, Bato, Pakku and Hakoda back home.

Gran Gran shoved her way through the crowd, and when her eyes were laid on her family, she was reduced to tears.

She charged them, nearly knocking all of them off their feet.

The family was involved in a large group hug, before going off together into the nearby igloos.

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Aang sat on a snowy ridge that night, absentmindedly stroking Momo, thinking about his life and how it had completely changed throughout the course of a year.

"Can I join you?"

Katara's voice broke his train of thought. He smiled sheepishly at her. "Of course."

Katara sighed as she eased her way onto the ridge next to him, the two staring at the moon. "There's going to be a lot of work to do … rebuilding and all."

Aang nodded. "Even now that the war is finally over … I still have a lot of responsibilites."

Katara looked up at the stars. "And the Dark Avatar Spirit … we've averted disaster this time, but what about when the Dark Avatar Spirit reincarnates again?"

Aang shrugs. "We'll just have to be ready. Keep our eyes open. But that danger is still a long way off. Let's focus on the present for now."

Katara looked deep in thought. "You know, when I was kidnapped by Koh, I was terrified. Not for myself. But I was terrified that … that we would have departed from each other on such … bad terms."

"I would never have let him take you, Katara. You know that, right?"

She smiled warmly. "I know."

"I want you to know, that I regret everything I've said and done. And I -." She interrupted him by putting her finger on his lips.

"Say no more. All is forgiven."

Aang sighed. "For the past few months, I've been looking for any sign of surviving Air Nomads. I don't think we're going to find anymore…"

"Then we'll have to bring them back the old-fashioned way."

"You mean repopulation?"

Katara nodded. "I can't think of a better way to spend the rest of my life."

Aang swallowed hard. "R-rest of your life?"

"Remember back in Ba Sing Se … when you asked me to marry you?"

"Yea?"

"Well … ask me again …"

Aang's eyes lit up, as he and Katara moved their faces towards each other, their lips meeting.

…

Malu watched the entire scene unfold. She smiled. Her role in these affairs was finally over, and the legacy of the Airbenders would continue on.

She breathed a deep sigh of contentment – almost relief – before she vanished in the wind, her spirit moving … _on_.

…

Aang and Katara stood there kissing in the icy banks, with the snow falling all around them.

Just the two of them.

And for now, they wouldn't have it any other way…

.

.

.

.

.

THE END.

**Author's Note: **Well, the story is over now. It took a long time to get finished, but it's finally done. Thanks again for all the reviews, favs and subscriptions! You guys make this worth it!

So now, let's discuss some of the ideas that went into this story, particularly the finale. I realized for my finale that this would be pretty much the ending of Aang's story – so it had to be as epic and large scale as possible. Giant wars, battles between the Avatar and Dark Avatar. It also had to be as emotional as possible, showing both the tragedies that occurred, which also made final victory more meaningful.

The villains were a little bit more complex in their motivations. In case I haven't adequately explained what was happening in the story, let's go over it here.

**Azula:**

My backstory for Azula was that she was born as the Dark Avatar, which explained her cruel, manipulative personality. However, deep down she always had some level of feelings for her family, but her cruel upbringing kept it down.

As she came into her Dark Avatar powers, she began to start seeing things in a whole new light. Malu helped with that. In this story, Malu was supposed to be Azula's conscience – but she was also supposed to represent Azula's lost innocence. I deliberately kept Malu ambiguous – was she alive/dead? Just a spirit? Or something more?

Ursa's return was supposed to help bring Azula's feelings more out into the open. I was trying to use both Malu and Ursa to show the increasing humanity in Azula. I find it highly interesting that the more Azula delved into her Dark Avatar powers, the more human she became. You'll notice, as the story progresses, that she was trying to rationalize and justify her actions more and more.

All this ultimately culminated when Ozai bended the Dark Avatar Spirit right out of her. First, she was betrayed by him, and second, without the evil of the Dark Avatar Spirit, that humanity within her was able to come out full force. She committed self-sacrifice to save her brother – a person she refused to admit she had any feelings for. She redeemed herself, showing that, deep down, she was not truly a monster. The fact that she was born as the Dark Avatar didn't change the fact that she could choose her identity. All these things, I felt, made Azula a far more complex, interesting – and human – character.

**Ozai:**

Ozai's characterization was deliberately the same as the t.v. show. All he was concerned with was power – at any cost. When Aang took away his bending at the end of Season 3, he had accidentally opened Ozai's charkas, enabling him to use Energybending.

Ozai was also one for self-rationalization. He wanted to rule the world, but he rationalized it as "saving" the world. He attempted to justify his actions towards his children as "being for their own good." In reality, he always saw his children as nothing more than tools, and Azula as his ultimate weapon.

However, by the end, Azula had outlived her usefulness and Ozai lusted after the powers of the Dark Avatar Spirit. He believed he could bend her spirit, taking the Dark Avatar Spirit for himself – and he was right. He became all-powerful – for however short it was.

**Ying:**

Ying was meant to be the new Zhao of this story. His motives were simply to ensure the Fire Nation's victory. He wasn't loyal to people, per se, but to the Fire Nation. This explains his motive in betraying Ozai. He knew that Aang would seal the Dark Avatar Spirit away forever. He was also convinced that the Dark Avatar was essential for the Fire Nation to maintain control of the world – through fear. So he killed Ozai to ensure that the Dark Avatar would live on – and one day become controlled by the Fire Nation.

**Koh:**

Koh was pretty much the overarching villain throughout the whole thing. He worked more in the shadows, manipulating everybody, including Ozai and Azula, moving the pieces into place until his plans could come to fruition.

When he was Avatar Ko-Rei, he was banished to the Spirit World to live as the Face-Stealing Monster he became. He created the Great-In-Between – a place between the mortal world and Spirit World where bending was possible.

Koh's main agenda was to switch places with Aang. He provided Azula as an unstoppable foe to ensure that Aang would doubt himself. Then he manipulated Aang into believing that as Avatar, he could never be happy. He convinced Aang that in order to be the Avatar, he had to give up those he loved (which he knew Aang could never do). His goal was to make Aang _want _to switch with him. Make Aang think that his life was so hopeless that switching with Koh would be far less painful by comparison.

So there you guys go. I hope that you enjoyed this story, and were pleased with the finale. I also hope it caused you to think of many of the characters in whole new lights. When writing your stories, don't be afraid to put your own spin on the characters.

As for me … I'll be writing more stories in the future. I will write a story about the Legend of Korra when it comes out. I'll try to bridge it with Korra's story and this story. Perhaps this would be a nice place to bring in the next incarnation of the Dark Avatar.

Also, if you're into horror, I'm writing a story based on the movie series, _Scream_. Also, if any of you are into Star Wars, I have plans to write a story based around the Knights of the Old Republic series.

As for all you writers out there, I hope to read many of your stories, and draw inspiration from each other. We're all on this sight because we love writing, and we love the fandoms we write for. We write to show the human condition, to show all the depths of humanity – from love, to loss. All of our stories, no matter what fandom, have the same core themes of humanity.

Keep writing, and God Bless!

Until the day we meet again!

-Mugatu


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